Wasserman Schultz rises to top of Democratic Party
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Updated at 4:47 p.m. ET
"Let no charge go unanswered. Let no man or woman bear false witness against a Democrat and let no voter cast a ballot for a Republican simply because they don't know what Democrats have done for them or what Republicans have done to them," said Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman.
She was formally elected by acclimation at today's DNC meeting.
After the vote, President Obama called in to the meeting to congratulate his choice to lead the party and praised her skills as a multitasker.
"I am reminded of something that Michelle said: If you need something done, give it to a busy woman," Obama said. "Thank you for affirming my selection. Debbie is the right person for the moment, not only because she has got great strategic sense and unbelievable energy. ...She embodies the core values of what we cherish in America."
Wasserman Schultz replaces Tim Kaine, who is running for the U.S. Senate, as the national Democratic Party chair. Political strategist Donna Brazile has been serving as interim chairwoman since Obama tapped the Florida congresswoman for the party job in April.
Wasserman Schultz, 44, was first elected to the U.S. House in 2004. She is a breast cancer survivor and happens to be from a state that plays a key role in presidential elections.
In 2006, the congresswoman helped run the party's successful "red to blue" campaign that led to Democrats taking back the House majority. (Republicans are now in charge.)
Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., questioned whether the party chairmanship would "strain" his Florida colleague, a mother of three children. His comment drew cries of sexism, but Wasserman Schultz has addressed the issue head on.
"A man in the same situation would likely not be asked," she told The Sun-Sentinel newspaper of Fort Lauderdale. "It's the hazards of being a woman. ...It's just a juggling act. Sleep's overrated."
