Politics
DNC Civil War Spirals Out Of Control After David Hogg Goes Rogue
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin publicly chastised DNC co-chair David Hogg over his plans to spend millions of dollars on insurgent progressive candidates against incumbents in Democratic Party House primary races.
Hogg, 25, highlighted the massive fractures in the Democrat coalition when he threatened to unleash his campaign war chest on House Democrats in party strongholds in an effort to steer the party in a more leftward direction.
“We need people, regardless of their age, that are here to fight,” Hogg said in an interview with Politico. He also took shots at party leadership, which he accused of being trapped in a “culture of seniority politics” that undermines progressive political goals.
Martin initially offered a diplomatic response in the immediate aftermath of the interview, calling Hogg a “passionate advocate” and thanking him for his work. Martin is noticeably frustrated with Hogg behind the scenes, however, as evidenced by a recent call with DNC members.
“Let me be clear. No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election on behalf of an incumbent or challenger,” Martin, who was elected to the position this past February, told DNC members. “If you want to challenge incumbents, you can do that. Just not as an officer of the DNC.”
Washington, DC USA – June 11, 2022: Activist David Hogg speaks at the March for Our Lives rally at the Washington Monument.
The latest flare-up underscores what has been a tumultuous start to party leadership for Hogg, who rose to national prominence by campaigning for gun control in the aftermath of the Parkland High School shooting.
Soon after Hogg’s election, he ignited controversy by using the DNC’s contact lists to solicit donations to his Leaders We Deserve political action committee. He is now seeking to use donations received through the efforts to challenge incumbent Democrats at a time when longtime party leaders would prefer to have a unified message.
“Our job is to be neutral arbiters,” Martin stressed in the call. “We can’t be both the referee and also the player at the same time.”
“As I’ve said to [Hogg], if you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC,” he added. “This is not about shielding incumbents or boosting challengers. It’s about voters’ trust in the party.”
Last month, DNC officials circulated a “neutrality policy” calling on leadership to refrain from activity that would “call into question their impartiality and evenhandedness,” according to a report from ABC News. Hogg refused to sign on.
Martin also advanced a proposal that would amend party rules to require DNC officers to remain neutral in primary contests. The DNC is expected to vote on the measure in August, which could have major implications for Hogg’s role in party leadership.
“They’re trying to change the rules because I’m not currently breaking them,” Hogg told the New York Post in response to Martin’s proposal.
“We all must use whatever position of power we have to fight back. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. The role of the DNC is to set the Presidential primary calendar, set the Presidential debate schedule, to help strengthen our state parties, play a key role in building our data infrastructure for the party, and to be the campaign in waiting for whoever the next Democratic nominee is. Nothing I’m doing is at odds with any of that.”
In a separate post to X, Hogg stated that he wants to see the party “winning again” before concluding with a shot at party leadership. “That simply will not be possible with our current set of leaders, too many of which are asleep at the wheel, out-of-touch, and ineffective,” he wrote.
