‘Homegrown rising star’: Justin Bibb tapped to lead Democratic Mayors Association

(WASHINGTON) -- The Democratic Mayors Association will appoint Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb as the organization's next president during its meeting on Saturday, a source familiar told ABC News.

Representing the new coalition of Democratic up-and-comers, Bibb, who is Black and 37, has been labeled a "homegrown rising star." He will be succeeding Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

"Democratic Mayors are uniquely poised for this moment. We know how to lead, and we know how to get things done. Mayor Bibb is a proven leader of his city, and I know will do a fantastic job at the helm of the Democratic Mayors Association," Gallego said in a statement to ABC News.

Bibb will be overseeing the group, which reaches as many as 500 current and former mayors, at a time of reflection as the party looks to rebuild and recoup from its election losses and figure out who is best positioned to lead it as Donald Trump begins his second presidential term. The Democratic National Committee is also in the throes of selecting new leadership and will be electing a slate of officers on Feb. 1.

(Martin O'Malley, a former Democratic mayor of Baltimore, is one of the leading candidates for DNC chair.)

As it moves forward, the party as a whole is looking to strike a balance between effectively messaging against Trump and Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress, working with the incoming administration on issues key to the Democratic mayors' cities and reestablishing its brand with key facets of its base who turned to the GOP -- or stayed home -- last November.

"Over the next four years, Democratic mayors will play a pivotal role in communicating the Democratic Party's message, combating misinformation -- particularly about our cities, which Trump repeatedly attacks – and continuing to deliver results locally, keeping their communities safe and creating and connecting people to opportunity," a source familiar with the DMA's plans told ABC News.

In a recent interview with the Ohio-based news site Signal Cleveland, Bibb said he's uninterested in being part of any formal Trump "resistance."

"I think Clevelanders and the American people are tired of 'the resistance,'" Bibb said. "They're tired of the bickering between Democrats and Republicans. They are tired of this left vs. right debate."

For his part, Bibb said that despite uncertainty, the DMA, under his leadership, will move forward with "unity."

"While there is uncertainty and concern on the eve of the Inauguration, the Democratic Mayors Association is clear in its mission," Bibb said in a statement to ABC News. "We will stand together. We are going to deliver. We are going to move forward with positive action and real results. Our time is now."

Bibb is currently running for a second term as mayor.

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who served as a Biden and Harris campaign co-chairman, said the group is lucky to have Bibb at the helm.

"Nobody knows better than Democratic Mayors on how to deliver," Landrieu said in a statement. "Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. This work is more important now than ever, and we are lucky to have Mayor Bibb leading the way."

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