What to know about Ken Martin, the next chair of the DNC
Minnesota Democrat Ken Martin won the race to be the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) next leader on Saturday afternoon, taking the reins from outgoing chair Jaime Harrison.
Martin won the DNC race as committee members gathered in Maryland to cast their votes, ultimately securing over 246 votes out of the 448 who voted, winning on the first ballot.
He ran against seven other contenders for the role, including Wisconsin state party chair Ben Wikler, who notably received endorsements from top Democratic leadership in Congress, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Here’s what to know about the next DNC chair:
Longtime chair of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party
Martin has helmed the Minnesota DFL since 2011. In the lead-up to Saturday, he touted the state party’s record under his leadership, saying that Democrats had won every statewide office while he was at the helm.
He also touted the fact that he’s the president of the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC), which he was elected to in 2017. He also serves as a vice chair at the DNC.
Even before heading up the Minnesota DFL, Martin had long been involved in politics in the North Star State. He got his start interning for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), first on the campaign side and later in his Senate office.
Among some of the roles Martin took on before becoming state party chair included serving as the political and field director for the state party, working on former presidential hopeful Al Gore’s and John Kerry’s campaigns in Minnesota and an executive director to WIN Minnesota PAC.
Notched key endorsements from Walz, Clyburn
Some of Martin’s most prominent endorsements came from Minnesota governor and ex-vice presidential hopeful Tim Walz, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who ran for DNC chair in 2017 against then former Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland also endorsed Martin, among others.
Meanwhile, Wikler enjoyed endorsements from top Democratic leadership, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Ahead of the Saturday election, Martin said he had more than 200 public endorsements from DNC committee members — nearly half of the 448 DNC members needed to win the chair race.
In speeches ahead of the actual election, several candidates also made last-minute endorsements backing Martin, including former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson and former Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder.
Sees multi-faceted role for DNC in a second Trump admin
Martin said in an interview with The Hill last year that he saw a multi-faceted role for the DNC amid a second Trump administration — both resisting “the really extremes and excesses of the Trump administration” and defining the Democrats’ priorities.
“You have to give people a sense of who you are and who the party is, who we’re fighting for, and why and that means, you know, if we’re focused the whole time on just resisting Trump, we’re not giving people a sense of who we are and why they should support us,” Martin told The Hill.
Other Democrats agree that the party cannot be in resistance mode all the time.
“There’s a big difference between being the political opposition party and just pure resistance,” former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) told The Hill.
Highlighted the party’s branding problem
Martin has been vocal in pointing out that Democrats have a branding problem with voters, arguing many people don’t think Democrats represent the party taking on the priorities of Americans.
“One thing that is deeply alarming to me, and you’ve probably seen this research, is that for the first time in modern history, the majority of Americans believe that the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor," he told The New York Times in an interview last November. "And that the Democratic Party represents the interests of the wealthy and the elite."
“That would suggest we have a huge branding problem, because that is not who our party is,” Martin continued. “And we’ve got to do a better job of making sure people know that wherever they live, wherever they are from, no matter who they are, we’re fighting for them and we’re their champion in this country.”
Calls for a ‘rigorous’ and ‘effective’ primary process
One of the most important tasks Martin will be charged with overseeing is the 2028 Democratic presidential early primary calendar as leaders across the states have started to weigh in on who should be in the early lineup.
In a 10-point plan released in December, he noted under a section titled Reforming Party Governance” that Democrats “need a rigorous, open, and effective primary process to battle-test our candidates to prepare them to win and govern.”
The Minnesota Democrat elaborated about the DNC and the primary process during a forum hosted between the commission and Politico last month, saying “no one in our party should have their thumb on the scale.”
“It's up to the Rules and Bylaws Committee and the DNC itself and all of our stakeholders to weigh in on that conversation,” he added, “and it's important that the next chair be open to all those conversations and be ready to have the conversation in a way that doesn't appear that one person or one state or one candidate” was driving the process.
Expressed concern over which donors the party should trust
One topic that became a minor flashpoint in the DNC chair race was Wisconsin state party chair Ben Wikler’s relationship to certain donors, like billionaire Reid Hoffman.
“I don't rub elbows with billionaires or Hollywood elites. I rub elbows with working people in Union halls, on picket lines, at civil rights marches and at protests,” Martin said during the DNC/Politico forum, an implicit jab at Wikler.
Martin was later asked about Wikler and his connection to major donors and whether it was a liability or an asset to know donors like Hoffman and George Soros. Martin was careful not to overtly criticize his rival, while also acknowledging some of the concerns he had over Hoffman specifically.
“I will just say that two of the donors you mentioned, the concern that a lot of state parties had, if I'm being really honest with you, Jonathan, is that one of those donors tried to stand up an organization called Alloy to essentially take state parties’ voter files away,” Martin told Politico’s Jonathan Martin, referring to a startup substantially funded by Hoffman.
Wikler later responded: "Anyone who's running for DNC chair should be able to raise dollars, and the key thing is that you raise dollars to do things that help us win."
“You know, when it came to Alloy, my argument has always been that state parties needed to own their data," he said.
Topics
-
Ken Martin wins race to become chair of the Democratic National Committee
Six candidates ended up running to lead the Democratic National Committee.CBS News - 1h -
Ken Martin elected next DNC chair
Minnesota state party chair Ken Martin was elected on Saturday as the next leader of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) after securing more than 246 votes out of the 428 members who voted, ...The Hill - 4h -
Ken Martin elected new chair of Democratic National Committee
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor chair to lead party still reeling from extensive losses. Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor party, won the crowded race to become the next ...The Guardian - 3h -
Ken Martin elected new DNC chair
Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin has been elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee.ABC News - 4h -
Ken Martin slammed by DNC candidates for 'inflated whip counts'
Leading candidates for the Democratic National Committee chair election said front-runner Ken Martin's claim that he has the support of 200 members is inflated.ABC News - Jan. 21 -
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 ...The Hill - Jan. 21 -
New York state senator drops DNC chair bid, backs Martin
New York state Sen. James Skoufis (D) ended his bid for Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair and backed Minnesota Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin for the post on Thursday. In a statement, ...The Hill - Jan. 16 -
Minnesotan Ken Martin's bid to be DNC chair gains more public endorsements
The campaign for Ken Martin, leader of Minnesota's arm of the Democratic Party, first revealed to CBS News that the he has 51 endorsements around the country from state party chairs and vice chairs.CBS News - Jan. 13 -
Walz endorses Minnesota Democratic chair as next DNC leader
Former vice presidential hopeful Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is backing Ken Martin, the Democratic state party chair in Minnesota, in his bid to take the helm of the Democratic National Committee ...The Hill - Jan. 9
More from The Hill
-
Democrats accused of corruption look to Trump for clemency
Democrats accused of corruption are seeking relief from President Trump as he hands out scores of pardons and drops charges against his political allies amid his crusade against the justice system ...The Hill - 49m -
White House mocks Selena Gomez over tearful video about ICE raids
The White House mocked Emmy-nominated actress Selena Gomez over her tearful video about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids with their own video featuring mothers whose kids ...The Hill - 1h -
Sunday shows preview: Deadly plane crashes rattle nation; Trump tariff threats set to become reality
This week the nation mourned the deadly plane crash near Reagan National Airport followed by a fatal Philadelphia flight, while leaders debated over the accidents' causes and rapid response ...The Hill - 1h -
How American tech companies built China into an AI powerhouse
Inadvertent or not, American companies have provided China with everything it needs to gain a competitive advantage.The Hill - 1h -
There's still a real threat that inflation makes a comeback
The recent shift in monetary policy and the Trump administration's economic agenda have raised concerns about inflationary pressures and the potential for a return to the pre-pandemic levels. The ...The Hill - 2h
More in Politics
-
Democrats accused of corruption look to Trump for clemency
Democrats accused of corruption are seeking relief from President Trump as he hands out scores of pardons and drops charges against his political allies amid his crusade against the justice system ...The Hill - 49m -
White House mocks Selena Gomez over tearful video about ICE raids
The White House mocked Emmy-nominated actress Selena Gomez over her tearful video about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids with their own video featuring mothers whose kids ...The Hill - 1h -
Sunday shows preview: Deadly plane crashes rattle nation; Trump tariff threats set to become reality
This week the nation mourned the deadly plane crash near Reagan National Airport followed by a fatal Philadelphia flight, while leaders debated over the accidents' causes and rapid response ...The Hill - 1h -
How American tech companies built China into an AI powerhouse
Inadvertent or not, American companies have provided China with everything it needs to gain a competitive advantage.The Hill - 1h -
There's still a real threat that inflation makes a comeback
The recent shift in monetary policy and the Trump administration's economic agenda have raised concerns about inflationary pressures and the potential for a return to the pre-pandemic levels. The ...The Hill - 2h