Thomas Edward Perez (born October 7, 1961 in Buffalo, New York) is an American politician, consumer advocate and civil rights lawyer. On July 23, 2013, he was sworn in as the United States Secretary of Labor. Perez is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously was the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice.
Perez announced his candidacy for Chair of the Democratic National Committee in the 2017 election on December 15, 2016. On February 25, 2017, Perez was elected Chairman on a second ballot. Minutes after being elected, Perez named Keith Ellison as deputy chair. He resigned in January 2021.
On June 23, 2021, Perez announced that he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Maryland in the 2022 election. He lost the Democratic nomination in July 2022.