DNC finance chair Muñoz steps down, replaced by Korge
Muñoz, 59, was the first openly gay person and first Latino to hold the party's top finance role
The party committee raised more than $600 million while he was finance chair and he hosted or co-hosted more than 100 fundraisers nationwide
The DNC has named Chris Korge, a Florida attorney who was a top fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as Muñoz's interim replacement until the full DNC can elect him permanently at the committee's summer meeting in San Francisco in August
Story Continued Below Korge is stepping into the middle of a fierce battle for dollars with the Republican National Committee with the 2020 presidential election looming
Boosted by President Donald Trump, the RNC has outraised the DNC by $173 million since January 2017, though the deficit did not prevent the Democratic Party from enjoying positive results in the 2018 midterm election, when the House of Representatives changed hands
The DNC declined to comment on how much it is aiming to raise for the 2020 election cycle
Although most Democratic presidential candidates aren't accepting corporate PAC money, the Democratic National Convention's host committee has been talking to corporate sponsors in order to fund the July 2020 convention in Milwaukee, Wis
, according to a person familiar with the matter. Muñoz co-founded the Latino Victory Project with actress Eva Longoria in 2014 to promote more Latino candidates for office, and he said he will continue to work on engaging Latinos and raising money for 2020 — but from a less formal role within the party
"2020 will be one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and I'm energized as ever to keep working with the DNC and Latinx advocates across the country to ensure we soundly defeat Donald Trump and take back state houses from coast to coast," Muñoz said in a statement
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DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement that he was grateful for Muñoz's work, and that under his leadership, "we have revitalized our party, rebuilt Democratic infrastructure, and made historic gains in the 2018 midterm elections
. While we are sad to see him step down from the position of Finance Chair, we are thrilled his dedication to the Democratic Party will continue
" Perez named Muñoz a DNC member-at-large and finance chairman emeritus in response to his retirement agreement
Longoria also praised Muñoz in a statement. "As my own political mentor, I have watched him organize and create paths for the next generation of Latinos," Longoria said in a statement
"I have no doubt, as he moves on to his next endeavor, he will continue to help this Latino mobilization movement he has created
" Korge, who lives in Miami, most recently was the finance chairman for Andrew Gillum's unsuccessful Florida gubernatorial campaign
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a veteran party fundraiser who previously chaired the DNC and has known Korge for more than 30 years, praised the move, saying "Democrats on all levels across the country will benefit from his leadership
" Gillum, who came from behind to win the Democratic gubernatorial primary last year before losing narrowly in the November general election, added that Korge's appointment would put the DNC's finances in "excellent hands
" "My team and I are beyond pleased with this news," Gillum said in a statement. "Chris Korge's support was instrumental during our 2018 campaign
"
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