Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin isn’t sure if he can be the party’s leader. However, Democrats are still counting on him, convinced he needs more time, and, without David Hogg, he will have a “free hand” to bring the party to victory in 2026 and 2028.
Democrats are in a rebuilding phase after losses in the 2024 election, and it has not been smooth sailing. New polls show that the party has a long way to go to rebuild trust with voters. A GOP trifecta gives Democrats virtually no governing power, leaving them solely dependent on loud messaging and the hope that Republicans shoot themselves in the foot.
Internal squabbling, on and off Capitol Hill, over whether it’s time to bring fresh blood into their ranks has caused Martin very public headaches — so much so that, in leaked audio, he expressed he may not be up to the task of leading the DNC.
“For the first time in my 100 days on this job, and [DNC Associate Chairwoman Jessica Wright] knows this,” Martin said before he got choked up. “The other night I said to myself for the first time, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.”
Not all Democrats are put off by this public display of self-doubt. In fact, they find it refreshing.
“There’s nothing wrong with self-criticism,” Democratic strategist Brad Bannon told the Washington Examiner. “There’s probably too little self-criticism among Democrats in D.C. He said, basically, Hogg has made it difficult for him to do his job. Well, it just got easier, because Hogg pulled himself out of the DNC.”
Other DNC officers have expressed their support for Martin and his leadership skills in light of the leaked audio.
“Ken showed vulnerability in a private conversation. He stood up for me and for the Democratic Party,” DNC Associate Chair Shasti Conrad told the Washington Examiner. “He shows up with authenticity. Always. That’s what you’ll hear on the tape. As Democrats, we ask for that kind of leadership. That’s what we expected when we chose him.”
Since becoming chairman, Martin has had some notable accomplishments. He traveled to 20 states in four months, led the Democratic Party’s town hall initiative, and flipped red seats during special elections in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.
“The American people don’t care about beltway chatter, and neither do I — they want to know that Democrats are fighting for them. Under my leadership, that’s what the DNC is doing,” Martin told the Washington Examiner.
Hogg lost his vice chairman position at the DNC this week after a slew of run-ins with leadership. The vote to redo his election came after a panel for the committee granted a procedural complaint, saying the rules in the initial election in February were not handled correctly.
Earlier this year, Hogg unveiled a plan to back primary challenges on longtime incumbents in an effort to get younger people in office. Martin quickly denounced the plan, claiming it would hurt the party’s ability to oppose President Donald Trump. Much of the Democratic Party agreed with Martin, saying Hogg’s efforts could hurt their chance of winning back the majority in 2026.
“I do not feel that it is constructive for an officer of the DNC to be actively supporting primary candidates,” Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) said. “I don’t think that is the most effective use of the DNC officers’ time.”
Though Hogg will not seek to reclaim his vice chairmanship, the Democrats’ problems are far from over. His idea to spend millions of dollars to oust Democratic incumbents, whom he and many other younger grassroots voters believe are too comfortable with the status quo, was met with resistance from both Capitol Hill lawmakers and his fellow DNC members.
But it also shines a light on a wider problem for Democrats, and his ousting proved that the establishment may not be ready for the change that Hogg and other younger leaders want to bring to the Democratic Party at this time.
Bannon said he thinks the “fresh blood” narrative has merit, but called Hogg’s approach the “height of craziness.”
“I think Democrats should devote every waking hour and every dollar they raise to winning a Democratic House majority in the midterms next year,” Bannon said.
Many members also agree that the narrative has merit as well.
“It’s critically important that the DNC figure out how they are going to incorporate more young people into our movement,” Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) told the Washington Examiner. “And so this tension that has come, you know, to the forefront, I think could be a positive thing, if what it means is Democrats understand seriously that they have a lot of work to do with young people.”
The House historically flips to the party opposite of the White House in the midterm elections, and Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to take the gavel.
“I think there is a need in the Democratic House caucus for younger members, but this is not the time,” Bannon said. “The stakes are too high.”
He said that, if the majority is won, there should be an opportunity for conversations to incorporate new, younger members into leadership positions.
But, he added, “Hogg’s effort should go on the back burner, once we have control of the House.”
But Martin has some work to do to get Democrats on the right track. A new Quinnipiac poll released June 11 found Democrats have a 70% disapproval rating in Congress.
“Democrats have a lot of work to do to refurbish their own image,” Bannon said. “And I don’t think Martin’s nearly had the time enough to do that, in the [four] months he’s been chair.”
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) has faith in Martin, noting that being DNC chairperson is a “hard job that requires a lot of patience.”
“I know Ken Martin well and have full confidence that he is the right person for the job,” Subramanyam said. “Ken is pushing hard to get us back in the majority.
But some Democrats are wary after Martin’s leaked audio, noting that if he feels uncertain about his stamina in the position, maybe he should quit while he’s ahead.
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“This is a really important moment, if he really doesn’t feel like he’s up for it, then better for him to know that now, just seeing what we have ahead of us,” said one House Democrat, granted anonymity to speak freely. “I’ve been saying it’s not a sprint, it’s not a marathon, it’s an ultramarathon. And so if he is not confident in his abilities to do the job, then step aside, and let somebody else lead.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the DNC for comment.