Senate Democrats tabbed Sen. Patty Murray of Washington on Tuesday to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and lead the party’s effort to win back lost seats heading into the 2012 elections.
Ms. Murray, who won a close race Nov. 2 for a fourth term in the Senate, will succeed outgoing chairman New Jersey Sen. Robert C. Menendez.
The DSCC is Senate Democrats’ fundraising and candidate recruiting arm, with its chairman serving as a integral party and campaign leader.
Under Mr. Menendez’s watch, Democrats lost six seats in the Nov. 2 midterm elections and now cling to a 53 to 47 majority.
“I know that this is not an easy task, but I’m not doing it because it’s easy, I’m doing it because it is a very tough time for many families, businesses and communities across the country,” said Ms. Murray, the Senate’s highest ranking woman.
Mr. Menendez praised his successor for running a “smart, aggressive” re-election campaign that can be “a model for what all of our incumbents need to do in 2012 to be successful.”
“Patty is a great senator, a true fighter, and will no doubt have another strong term as Chair of the DSCC,” he said.
Ms. Murray led the DSCC during the 2002 election cycle when Democrats lost two seats and control of the chamber.
If no seats change hands as a result of deaths or retirements, Republicans will have only 10 Senate seats up for re-election in 2012, compared with 23 for the Democratic caucus.
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