WASHINGTON — Rep. Keith Ellison is announcing his candidacy for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, joining a crowded bench of candidates trying to head the party.

The Minnesota congressman says Democrats must “begin the rebuilding process now.” He’s promising to build a broader bench of federal, state and local candidates. Ellison says Democrats need a “robust party organization in every state.”

Ellison has attracted support from high-profile backers including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and his expected replacement, Sen. Chuck Schumer.

He was the first Muslim-American elected to Congress.

With Democrats losing the White House and Congress — and likely the ideological tilt of the Supreme Court — the new DNC chief will likely be one of the party’s most visible faces.