David Hogg is out at the DNC. Now, the party chair tries to move forward
CNN
Much of Ken Martin’s four months as head of the Democratic National Committee have been engulfed in a feud with David Hogg, the Gen Z activist who vowed to back primary challengers to Democratic incumbents in conflict with other party leaders.
David Hogg is leaving the Democratic National Committee’s leadership team, closing out a long and messy feud. Now, party chair Ken Martin and his allies hope voters will pay more attention to their efforts to define President Donald Trump and less to Democrats’ infighting. Both Martin’s allies and critics within the party worry the fight with Hogg, who announced Wednesday he would not seek re-election to his vice chair role after the party voted to redo his February election, led to months of lost time. Early Martin initiatives, including investing more in state parties, staging town halls in Republican districts and over-performing in multiple local elections this year, have been overshadowed at times. The DNC is still trying to find its footing as an oppositional force to Trump after a devastating 2024 election for the party, which is now out of power in Congress as well. With Hogg out of leadership, Martin allies hope the national party’s messaging on issues such as Trump’s sweeping domestic policy proposal and deployment of the National Guard and Marines to quell immigration protests will resonate ahead of next year’s midterm elections. “His heart is in the right place; his head is in the right place,” Kalyn Free, a DNC member from Oklahoma who filed the February procedural complaint that ultimately led to Hogg’s exit, said of Martin. “He is doing everything he can to rebuild this party and to get our message out. Unfortunately, he has been distracted by this situation with Mr. Hogg and I know we need to move beyond that.” One DNC member, who backed a Martin opponent to lead the party and asked for anonymity to speak candidly, was more critical. “In the absence of a Democrat in the White House, you would look to your national chair as a face for Democrats, and we just haven’t seen it,” the member told CNN.
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