After the vote to formally challenge his leadership, Hogg said it was “impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote” and that the “DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.”
Politics
DNC Leadership Is In Turmoil Over Recent Infighting, Leaked Audio Reveals
The newly-minted Democratic National Committee (DNC) leadership is already on the verge of breaking apart, according to leaked audio obtained by Politico.
Current Chair Ken Martin, who was elected to his post back in February, has been locked in a weeks-long feud with current DNC Vice Chair David Hogg. The gun control activist has promised to use DNC funds to primary Democrat lawmakers who are not sufficiently left-wing, a move that has placed him directly at odds with Martin and other DNC stalwarts, who would prefer to focus on retaking the House.
Hogg’s position is currently being challenged by the DNC, as losing candidate’s from February’s election have cited procedural errors in calling for a re-vote on the vice chair positions currently held by Hogg and Kenyatta. Martin also proposed a rule change that would bar DNC officers from endorsing Democrat candidates in primary contests, another move that could lead to Hogg’s removal.
Both measures are set to be voted on by DNC leaders in the near future.
In a leaked Zoom meeting with party leaders, Martin accused Hogg of undercutting his leadership and confessed that he has considered stepping down from his current role if party infighting continues.
“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin said in the recording, which was obtained by Politico.“I don’t think you intended this,” Martin told Hogg on the May 15 Zoom meeting, “but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”
Martin — who formerly chaired the Minnesota Democratic Party — won a contested election for the national chairmanship back in February. He has been tasked with reversing a number of troubling trends for Democrats, including declining overall favorability ratings and sizable drops in support among key demographics, including voters under 30 and men.
“I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job… the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” Martin said in the meeting that was attended by 10 DNC officers, according to Politico.
Martin walked back his statement when asked for comment by the outlet, saying, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats,” he added. “As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda. That’s the work that I will continue to do every day.”
Kenyatta, whose leadership role is also being challenged, came to Martin’s defense in response to the leaked audio. “Breaking news: a human being had a frustrating day at work. That’s all Ken expressed on that call,” he said, according to Politico.
Martin has reportedly been pressuring Hogg to sign a neutrality pledge rather than formally vote on a rule change after the vice chair claimed party leadership is “asleep at the wheel.”
