Newly-elected Democratic National Committee member Lupita Mauer said Tuesday that she hoped the next chairman of the DNC would continue current Chairman Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy.

Mauer, who was elected one of Oregon’s newest committee members this past weekend, said that the 50-state strategy had been extremely effective in the state, and that the next chairman needs to be able to bring a similar ground game to the Democratic Party.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a fight like it was four years ago,” Mauer said. “I would have liked David Plouffe to be it. He really understood the 50-state strategy.”

Unlike 2004, the upcoming change at the helm of the DNC should be pretty tame. Party officials expect that President-elect Barack Obama will choose someone to chair the committee, and committee members will vote for that person.

Unfortunately for Mauer, Plouffe is being considered for several other positions. But other candidates, including Democratic operatives Paul Tewes and Steve Hildebrand have been whispered for the job.

Mauer said that she will be learning about the candidates in the coming weeks before her first meeting with the committee on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C.

 But the former chair of the Washington County
Democratic Party, and the only woman elected this weekend, is also looking forward to using her position to continue to reach out to the Hispanic community

“They’re a swing group; they had a charismatic candidate with Barack Obama to vote for this time,” Mauer said. “But they need to be engaged and stay with the party.”

Fortunately they have Mauer, a native of Mexico City, to show them the way to engage in Oregon.

“People get real excited to see someone reaching leadership levels,” Mauer said. “But it’s really pretty simple. You just have to get involved.”