Mr. Shakir said his mission, should he win the post, would be to redefine the Democratic Party as the party of the working class.
Faiz Shakir, a former campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders and a longtime progressive Democratic strategist, is jumping into the race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, demanding the party more directly debate how to position itself to rebuild public trust and regain power.
Mr. Shakir would appear to be a long shot. But his entrance could shake up a contest that so far has been dominated by two middle-aged Midwestern white men who lead state parties — Ken Martin in Minnesota and Ben Wikler in Wisconsin — and who have disagreed mostly over mechanical, internal and tactical matters.
In an interview, Mr. Shakir said he was joining the race because he grew frustrated at seeing the candidates focus too much on procedural and bureaucratic details of running the committee and too little on what he said should be an ambitious vision for the chairmanship: shaping what the Democratic Party should say and stand for.
If elected, Mr. Shakir said, his mission would be to redefine the Democratic Party as the party of the working class — including by reaching beyond the typical confines of campaigns, such as organizing to support striking workers.
“We are rebuilding trust with people who don’t believe the Democratic Party has been there when it matters most to them,” he said.
He described the Democratic brand as fundamentally “tarnished,” “broken” and in need of repair.
“It’s late in the game,” he said of his entrance. “If we can’t have a bold debate about these issues — it’s now or never.”