Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin’s rocky tenure hit another bump with the release of fundraising numbers for the organization, which has struggled to regain its foothold after President Donald Trump‘s victory in the 2024 election.
The federal campaign reports released Friday evening show the DNC hemorrhaging money at a time when the Republican National Committee is rapidly growing its coffers. The Democratic Party’s marquee fundraising committee ended the month of May with $15 million in cash on hand, compared to the RNC’s $72.4 million, nearly five times more.
The Federal Election Commission’s filings paint a stark picture after the DNC was already dealing with internal turmoil that has spilled over into the public arena, challenging Martin’s ability to guide the party forward. Those with ties to big donors are wary of whether Martin can lead the party, as some influential DNC members, such as David Hogg, with ties to younger voters and labor unions, have quit.
Since Martin took over, the DNC has drained its cash reserves by $1.8 million, records show. Meanwhile, the RNC’s cash on hand has grown by $27 million during the same period.
The DNC touted the fundraising numbers on Friday as something to celebrate, announcing it had raised roughly $40 million from individual contributions in the first four months of Martin’s leadership, more than any previous chairman in that time period.
“This is only the start, but it’s a record-setting start that allows Democrats to meaningfully invest in every part of the country,” Martin said in a statement that didn’t address that the DNC has spent more than it has brought in May. “Let’s get back in the game, keep winning races across the ballot, beat the Republicans in Virginia and New Jersey, and then take back Congress in 2026.”
The fundraising numbers come as the party rebuilds after Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s 2024 disappointments, and Democrats have begun to criticize Martin’s ability to lay out a vision ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Some DNC members have complained that Martin looks “weak and whiny” in the struggle to contain the several disputes that have spilled into the public.
“My basic feeling is that the DNC right now is a mess. I mean, there’s no question about it,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon.
Hogg, a former vice chairman for the group, accused Democratic leaders of having a “serious lack of vision” when he ultimately decided not to run for the leadership position after the DNC voted to void his election.
The Gen-Z activist’s efforts to primary elderly Democrats inflamed the party and ultimately led to a public rebuke from Martin.
Martin also fretted in a leaked audio that Hogg’s actions had limited his ability to focus the party on rebuilding the Democratic Party’s public image.
Then, Randi Weingarten, the influential leader of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, both quit the DNC over their disagreement with Martin’s leadership.
Both leaders, who supported Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler for the DNC chairman, were removed from the powerful Rules and Bylaws Committee by Martin and refused to continue as at-large DNC members. They also complained that Martin’s leadership was not widening the big-tent umbrella coalition the party needs to claw back power.
“While I am a proud Democrat, I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our community,” Weingarten wrote to Martin on June 5.
“The decision to decline the nomination to the Democratic National Committee was not made lightly,” Saunders said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “It comes after deep reflection and deliberate conversation about the path forward for our union and the working people we represent.”
Martin, however, will have a new vice chairwoman after Shasti Conrad was elected on Friday, following the reelection of Malcolm Kenyatta as vice chairman, in the aftermath of the Hogg drama, which could help him begin to put his stamp on the DNC.
“As an AAPI leader, I’m proud to represent America’s fastest-growing voting bloc and ensure we have a seat at every table where decisions are made,” said Conrad in a statement on Friday. “I’m ready to work side by side with Chair Martin and Democrats across the country to win elections and live up to the values we all share.”
Yet, Democrats are worried that their financial deficit compared to Republicans could hinder their ability to win future elections.
On Friday, Vice President JD Vance, the RNC finance chairman, traveled to Los Angeles, California. He attended a fundraiser for the organization during its summer retreat, according to an invitation obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The fundraiser charges $44,300 per photo with Vance and $88,600 per couple for a roundtable and photo with the vice president, another example of how the GOP is adding to its coffers after gaining control of the White House and Congress.
“We have no clear path or plan,” one DNC member told the New York Post. “The midterms are going to come before we know it, and then we’re going to be really f****d.”
Insiders told the New York Times that major donors have been reluctant to give to the DNC this year despite Martin’s solicitation and that party leaders have discussed borrowing money to pay its bills.
“That’s certainly not our plan right now,” Martin told the paper about borrowing funds. “I don’t know if we’ll have to at this point.”
Even Hogg, whose group Leaders We Deserve is investing $20 million in primarying senior Democrats, is facing some financial problems.
The group raised $848,088 in May, but spent $797,880, and has $1.5 million cash on hand, according to data compiled by Rob Pyers, research director at California Target Book.
Other DNC members acknowledged that money has become a problem now that they are shut out of power.
“The DNC is no different than any other ally groups out there,” said John Verdejo, a North Carolina DNC member. “There’s many ally Democratic-leaning groups right now, starving for money right now since Trump’s election.”
“Big Democratic donors are holding on to their purses right now, just looking to see where things go,” he continued. “And this tends to happen when you’re the losing party. There’s a period where the money’s not flowing as much as it used to.”
Adding to Martin’s problems is that Harris raised a historic $1 billion in just three months of running for president, but reportedly finished the campaign with $20 million in debt, which could deter donors from opening their wallets again.
Verdejo said donors from the last cycle who are keeping up with the barrage of negative press surrounding the DNC may be cautioning Martin “to clean house first” before they cut a check.
In April, Martin also announced a $1 million monthly investment from the DNC in all 50 state parties to help them rebuild before the 2026 and 2028 elections. However, the program is also adding further strain to the party’s financial resources.
“Martin has to make a case that he’ll make better use of [money] than the previous regime did in 2024 because … I think a lot of donors are gun-shy,” Bannon added.
A recent poll backs up Bannon’s assertion. According to a Reuters-Ipsos poll, 62% of Democrats said it was time for new leadership, with only 24% saying the party should keep current leadership in place.
Many Democrats have pushed the DNC to move away from distracting fights to focus more on fighting Trump’s efforts to muscle through his reconciliation bill, crack down on sanctuary cities, and steamroll Washington.
Sunjay Muralitharan, president of the College Democrats of America and a DNC member, described the internal drama as “minor, personality squabbles.”
“Everyone has their own personal opinion of what direction the party should be in. I think everyone is entitled to that opinion,” Muralitharan said. He claimed it would be hard for Martin or any one leader to create the big-tent party structure Democrats have been known for in the past.
Martin’s supporters point to his work traveling to nearly two dozen states and leading the party to victory in flipping red seats during special elections in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania as an example of how effective the chairman has been despite his struggles.
Democrats also don’t appear keen on pushing out Martin anytime soon.
“I will say it’s too early to say that it’s time for him to step aside. He just got elected in February. It is now June,” said Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist in North Carolina. “What I will say, though, is that the party has to figure out a way to stop airing out internal debates in the open.”
Public leaks will continue to weaken Martin in the eyes of the public and donors, leading to more disastrous problems, the strategist cautioned.
“One, you lose support and the confidence of the base, two, you lose the confidence of the donor class, and then three, the voters feel that you don’t have your house in order,” he continued. “So, how can we put you back in power?”
Ron Harris, a Minnesota DNC member and chairman of the DNC Midwestern caucus, claimed that Martin’s past leadership of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gave him the experience to navigate the complicated problems he faces.
“Having been a party chair for 15 years or so in Minnesota, he’s seen his fair share of internal dynamics leaking to the public,” Harris said. “He’s been on the other end of mean accusations and people trying to throw dirt on his name or get in his way, so he’s more than prepared to sort of navigate this.”
DEMOCRATS BRUSH OFF INTRA-DNC SQUABBLES AS ‘BRUISED EGOS’ AND ‘MINUSCULE’
Democrats are looking for progress soon.
“I’m willing to give him some leeway so he has time to get his act together, but he better do it soon,” said Bannon. “He better do it quickly, because the Hogg fight was a distraction. The departure of Weingarten and Saunders are great losses. So he better get going and get going fast.”