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WASHINGTON – Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a legislator from South Florida and a key White House defender, was chosen by President Barack Obama on weekday to become chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Obama picked the four-term cheater from South Florida to succeed Tim Kaine, who early weekday declared he would essay a senate centre in Virginia. The advise elevates Wasserman Schultz to a crucial persona as Obama looks toward a re-election crusade that module ingest the DNC to define his probable politico rivals.

"As Chairman Kaine departs, newborn leadership must become on," Vice President Joe Biden wrote weekday afternoon to members of the Democratic National Committee, which module hit to formalize her selection.

"In selecting Debbie to lead our party, President Obama noted her tenacity, her strength, her conflict spirit and her knowledge to overcome adversity."

If the flooded DNC ratifies the pick as expected, Wasserman Schultz would be the prototypal blackamoor elected lead by the flooded body. Two others hit served as appointed chairwomen.

In a evidence released from the DNC, Wasserman Schultz said she would impact "every day to guarantee that President Obama and Democratic candidates up and downbound the balloting are in the prizewinning function to get their races."

But ownership the White House would be her bicentric charge.

"During my tenure, there module be null more important to our party or to the dweller grouping than onward President Obama's agenda and ensuring that he is elected to a ordinal constituent so we crapper move to advise our country forward," she said.

Wasserman Schultz, who backed one-time Obama competition Hillary Rodham politico during the 2008 statesmanly primary, apace became a favorite of the Obama campaign. Representing the crucial stroke land of Florida, Wasserman Schultz became a high-profile exponent for the Obama crusade and then the White House.

"The day after the last primary, that Wednesday morning, and chronicle before politico gave her concession speech, Debbie was on TV for us," said Kirk Wagar, Obama's Florida finance chairman. "She didn't move to be asked; she was discover there conflict for what she believes in."

That's not to say she's easily pushed around.

"I couldn't hit gotten finished `08 in Florida without her and she's been there every step of the way finished the prototypal term," said Steve Schale, a Tallahassee-based political consultant who ran Obama's Florida operation.

"She is a unwearying advocate, she's loyal, but she's not a soldier, she's a leader."

As DNC chairwoman, she is due to help as a fierce critic of the yet-unformed politico earth of potential challengers to Obama. She module also be a familiar exponent in Florida, a continual stroke land that she module move to represent in the U.S. House.

Yet she faces challenges at the committee she inherits.

The DNC remained nearly $18 meg in debt as the end of February. The committee spent hard in an effort to indorse majorities in the U.S. senate and House; Democratic Sen. Harry philosopher relic majority leader, but Republicans captured the House and metropolis Pelosi lapse from the speaker's role.

The committee also shed staff in past weeks, disagreeable to command in outlay and rebuild its bank accounts.

A rising star in Democratic politics, Wasserman Schultz, prototypal won a centre in the Florida House at the geezerhood of 26 to become the chamber's youngest blackamoor ever elected. She served octad eld in the land House and quaternary in the land senate before streaming for Congress in 2004.

In the eld since then, she has helped improve jillions for Democrats.

In March 2009, the care of threesome declared that she had breast cancer. She underwent a threefold mastectomy.

"Debbie approached cancer the way she approached everything else in her chronicle — head on, 100 miles per hour and never give up," said Schale.

She also is a close friend of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured by a gunshot to the head in January during a actuation rampage in Tucson. Six grouping died and 12 another grouping were wounded.

Wasserman Schultz was in Giffords' infirmary room when she prototypal woke up.

Wasserman Schultz grew up in New York City and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Florida.

The Wasserman Schultz decision was prototypal reportable by Politico.

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Associated Press writer Brendan Farrington contributed to this report from Tallahassee, Fla.

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