Ken Martin says he has 200 endorsements from DNC members

Minnesota Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin said on Tuesday his bid for Democratic National Committee Chair has received 200 endorsements from DNC members.

The number of endorsements for Martin are significant given there are roughly 450 voting DNC members, making Martin a front runner.

"I'm honored to have gained the support of leaders from across the country,” Martin said in a statement. “Our campaign is gaining momentum and we're going to continue to work hard for people's votes."

Last week, Martin received the endorsement of former DNC chair candidate and New York State Sen. James Skoufis (D) after Skoufis dropped out of the race. Former vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) backed Martin earlier this month.

Other candidates have touted their own endorsements in the race. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler has received a number of key endorsements in the race from figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D). Meanwhile, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has touted endorsements from more than 60 current and former mayors.

Wikler’s spokesperson responded to news of Martin’s endorsements, saying the race “is wide open.”

“Ken Martin is releasing inflated whip counts because his momentum in this race has stalled and he is seeking to create a false sense of momentum,” the spokesperson said. “Our internal count has Ben within 30 votes of Ken, with a surge in support since last week’s union endorsements. Ken has fewer votes than the combined support for Ben and Martin O’Malley and lacks a clear path to the majority."

Other candidates include former Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder, former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson and Massachusetts lawyer Jason Paul. Last week, Faiz Shakir, who was campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2020 campaign, jumped into the race.

DNC members will vote on the committee’s next chair and other leadership positions on Feb. 1 a National Harbor, Maryland.

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