Keith Ellison, the frontrunner in the DNC chair race, was posed with a serious challenge on December 8th, as labor secretary Tom Perez entered the race.

Perez called for more advocating and fighting for issues in a conference call to state DNC chairs where he formally declared his candidacy.

Perez, even though joining over a month later than Ellison, has already managed  to create a formidable following, with many state chairs and governors backing him.  Perez was also all but backed by President Obama in a recent press conference, where Obama praised him as “wicked smart” and “extraordinary” in his role as labor secretary.

Also in the race are South Carolina DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and New Hampshire DNC Chairman Ray Buckley.

To Ellison, Perez’s entrance poses a serious threat, as Ellison’s campaign has faced serious turbulence in recent weeks.

Ellison, a Muslim, has faced backlash from many in the pro-Israel community, labeling him as anti-semitic in the wake of unveiled comments on Israel in which Ellison says, “The United States foreign policy in the Middle East is governed by what is good or bad through a country of 7 million people. A region of 350 million all turns on a country of 7 million. Does that make sense?”

In response, the anti-defamation league called for opposition to Ellison, calling his remarks “deeply disturbing and disqualifying.”

Despite struggles, Ellison still looks like the favorite to win, with prominent backers including the upcoming senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Some are concerned that the race for DNC chair will become a rehash of the Sanders-Clinton fight for the party, and would further fracture an already reeling party, as Perez was a vocal backer of Clinton opposed to the Bernie-backed Ellison.

Whoever wins when the DNC convenes to vote on February 24th will likely lead the party in a more progressive, grassroots and labor based direction as all candidates have a platform akin to those goals.