Ken Martin Elected as New Democratic National Committee Chair
Ken Martin, the longtime leader of the state Democratic Party organization in Minnesota, has been elected as the new chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Martin won the election on Saturday, clinching a majority of the voting members on the first ballot.
Martin’s victory was seen as a result of his strong relationships with the more than 400 voting members of the DNC, which he forged over more than a decade of work inside the institutional Democratic Party. His experience and deep party relationships proved essential in his win.
In his address to the DNC membership after his victory, Martin called for party unity and focused on opposing President Donald Trump. He emphasized the need for the party to tap into the rich diversity of elected officials who are delivering on party values and to focus on opposing Trump and the billionaires who support him.
Martin’s election comes at a time when the Democratic Party is looking to recover from a dismal 2024 election cycle. He will be tasked with helping to pull Democrats out of the hole where they ended 2024, a devastating election cycle that left them without any of the levers of power in Washington.
Martin framed his role as doing the important party-building work that will set the foundation for the party’s candidates to use up and down the ballot. He emphasized the need to focus on opposing Republicans and to define the party’s message.
The frontrunners in the race for DNC chair were largely in agreement about what the party needed to do to move forward, including ensuring the party has the resources to contest every race across every state and territory, adopting a permanent organizational posture to help build relationships between the party and its potential voters, and taking a postmortem look at Democratic Party spending.
Martin’s election marks a new chapter for the Democratic Party, and he will be tasked with helping to lead the party forward.