Democrats in Disarray: Ken Martin's tenure so far at DNC ripped

Democratic National Committee (DNC) seat Ken Martin stopped successful one-time battleground-turned-red authorities Ohio this week, arsenic portion of his "50-state strategy" to assistance Democrats effort and triumph elections from seashore to coast.

"We can’t beryllium a enactment that’s conscionable focused connected nationalist power, due to the fact that elections aren’t won successful D.C., they’re won successful states similar Ohio," Martin said successful Cleveland astatine a forum connected the aboriginal of the Democratic Party. "Ohio is simply a immense plaything authorities successful 2026."

Martin, who was elected arsenic DNC seat astatine the opening of February, is connected a ngo to assistance Democrats flight the governmental wilderness, pursuing stunning setbacks successful past November's elections, erstwhile the enactment mislaid power of the White House and the Senate and fell abbreviated of winning backmost the House majority.

But portion Democrats are present energized to defy President Donald Trump's sweeping and arguable docket during his 2nd circuit of work successful the White House, Martin's tenure truthful acold steering the nationalist enactment committee has been thing but creaseless sailing.

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Newly elected Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks aft winning the ballot astatine the DNC Winter Meeting astatine the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center successful National Harbor, Maryland connected Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

"There is simply a immense vacuum of enactment successful the Democratic Party and Ken is proving to beryllium a weak, ineffective person who isn’t acceptable for immoderate of this," a erstwhile DNC official, who asked for anonymity to talk much freely, told Fox News.

Bitter infighting has hampered Martin – who was the longtime seat of the Minnesota Democrats erstwhile helium won the DNC seat predetermination – during his archetypal 4 and a fractional months connected the job.

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David Hogg, the 25-year-old activistic and schoolhouse shooting subsister who was elected a DNC vice seat the aforesaid time Martin won the seat election, ignited a civilian warfare wrong the enactment by pledging to walk millions of dollars done his extracurricular governmental radical to enactment primary-challenges immoderate older House Democrats successful bluish districts that helium said were "asleep astatine the wheel."

Democratic National Committee vice seat David Hogg, who was elected to his enactment presumption successful February, exited the DNC earlier this period aft a clash with DNC leadership. REUTERS/Emily Elconin (REUTERS/Emily Elconin)

Hogg's menace to walk wealth against chap Democrats, which was unprecedented astatine the DNC, yet led to his exit from the nationalist enactment committee earlier this month.

The party's clash with Hogg included embarrassing audio of Martin - that was leaked to the property - of the seat questioning his quality to pb the DNC.

"You fundamentally destroyed immoderate accidental I person to amusement the enactment that I request to," Martin said of Hogg successful the recording, which was archetypal reported by Politico. "I don’t cognize if I wanna bash this anymore."

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Days aboriginal - much atrocious quality - arsenic 2 apical nationalist labour leaders discontinue their roles astatine the DNC.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, declined offers to enactment connected arsenic at-large members of the DNC arsenic they questioned the party's absorption nether Martin. The quality was archetypal reported by the New York Times.

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, seen connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, connected April 26, 2023, was 1 of 2 apical labour leaders who precocious stepped down from their roles with the DNC. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

Meanwhile, successful the important fundraising conflict with the rival Republican National Committee, the DNC is falling behind, according to the latest run currency figures.

The latest filings with the Federal Election Commission amusement the RNC with $67 cardinal currency connected manus arsenic of the extremity of April, acold up of the DNC's $17 cardinal successful their coffers.

While the infighting implicit the past fewer months whitethorn subside, the party's fundraising could beryllium a interest arsenic Democrats purpose to triumph backmost the House and perchance the Senate successful adjacent year's midterm elections.

A DNC committee member, who besides asked to stay anonymous, told Fox News that Martin's tenure truthful acold "has been underwhelming."

Meanwhile, Maria Cardona, a longtime Democratic strategist and existent DNC committee member, told Fox News "DNC members are perfectly frustrated and sick of the in-fighting and privation that everyone would conscionable get implicit themselves and absorption connected helping Chairman Martin and the enactment decision Republicans alternatively of attacking each other. 

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"We person nary clip for this bullsh-t. Our state and our ideology is facing existential threats each day, and that is wherever 1000% of our combat needs to be," Cardona argued.

A erstwhile DNC official, who was granted anonymity, acknowledged that "the Democratic Party is successful a rebuilding phase. "Everyone knew it was going to beryllium a hard task."

Then-Minnesota Democratic Party seat Ken Martin speaks with Fox News connected Dec. 12, 2024 successful Washington D.C. Martin was elected DNC seat connected Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

But the authoritative added "that is besides wherefore the Party overwhelmingly elected Ken and trusted him to pb the way. Instead of creating needless distractions that marque his occupation harder, Democrats should enactment unneurotic and absorption connected the lone happening that matters: winning."

Cardona told Fox News that "everything that Ken has done, careless of the play that it has caused, has been the close moves."

She and others successful enactment of Martin noted the Democrats' occurrence successful caller months successful off-year and peculiar elections, arsenic good arsenic the DNC's accrued investments successful the authorities parties.

Another committee member, who was granted anonymity, pointed to the accepted almighty relation of a nationalist enactment seat erstwhile their enactment is retired of powerfulness successful the White House. 

"Ken is the boss," the committee subordinate told Fox News. "Ken is rebuilding the house…he inactive has immoderate large renovations to do."

But the committee subordinate added that that relation tin often ruffle feathers with others wrong the party.

Both Weingarten and Saunders supported Martin's rival successful the contention for DNC chair, now-former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. As chair, Martin aboriginal removed Weingarten from the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which is the radical liable for drafting the Democratic Party's statesmanlike nominating calendar and predetermination process. 

The DNC committee subordinate told Fox News Digital it was "not surprising" the national leaders decided to measurement down from the DNC, "given they some supported different candidate."

Martin, successful an interrogation this week with the New York Times, said "I cognize there’s a batch of radical that are carrying grudges, that are inactive litigating the run that their idiosyncratic didn’t win."

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And Martin, successful a connection to Fox News, said that "some radical successful DC conscionable privation to triumph an argument, but I’m focused connected winning elections. This year, Democrats person an unprecedented way grounds of 32 wins and overperformances successful races crossed the country. That’s what I was elected to do."

The seat highlighted that "we person to chopped done the sound and absorption connected what works" and that the "American radical don’t attraction astir beltway chatter, and neither bash I – they privation to cognize that Democrats are warring for them. Under my leadership, that’s what the DNC is doing."