Sharif Street made history this past weekend as the first African American to be elected Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in its 230 year history. 

The PA Senator, who represents the 3rd District, was voted into the position by a vote of 174 to 138, after serving as vice-chair for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party for four years.

Following the historic win, Street said he is “honored to be elected to lead our party forward.”

Street also laid out his list of priorities for his new role. 

“We will prioritize connecting with Democratic voters in every part of our state, building a foundation to elect good candidates on all levels of government, engaging communities that feel forgotten and connecting our Party’s ideals to their everyday problems,” he noted.

In the resounding and historic victory, Street received broad support from state committee members, which included those from rural Pennsylvania, African Americans and Latinos. 

He was aided by his record as vice-chair, traveling over 50,000 miles around the Commonwealth to engage all communities.

As a state senator, he championed policies that appeal to all communities, as well, including criminal justice reform, ending cannabis prohibition, gun violence reduction and community safety funding. 

Throughout his political career, Street has demonstrated an ability to provide effective leadership, problem solving skills and a unifying force within the party.

In his new role as chair of the PA Democratic Party, he will bring those qualities to his constituents, referring to the Party as “a family.”

“We are unified in electing Josh Shapiro as our next governor. We are unified in flipping the US Senate by electing John Fetterman, and we are unified in ensuring that we do everything we can to protect your right to vote, a woman’s right to choose, and workers’ rights to unionize,” said Street. 

He will also focus on building a foundation to elect good Democratic candidates at each level of government, including school board members, township supervisors, county commissioners, and state legislators in the House and Senate.