DNC elects vice chair to replace David Hogg as Democrat Party rift rages on

Shasti Conrad, Washington State Democratic Party Chair, was elected vice seat of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) connected Friday, ending the months-long David Hogg contention successful which the 25-year-old progressive bowed retired from enactment leadership. 

The 2nd voting play for the DNC's "any gender" vice seat predetermination ended Friday nighttime arsenic Free OR Conrad picked up the bulk of votes formed by DNC members. Earlier successful the week, candidates failed to unafraid a bulk and Jeanna Repass was eliminated during the archetypal circular of voting.

Hogg announced his exit from DNC enactment aft members voted past week to uphold the Credentials Committee's solution projected by Kalyn Free to big a re-election for 2 vice-chair positions, which Hogg and DNC vice seat Malcolm Kenyatta won during the Feb. 1 enactment elections. 

Kenyatta told Fox News Digital aft Hogg's exit that the re-election play has prevented the DNC from being "singularly focused."

'DISTRACTION': THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS READY TO LEAVE THEIR DAVID HOGG DRAMA IN THE DUST

David Hogg stepped down from enactment enactment aft helium was elected DNC vice seat earlier this year. (GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK)

"We've spent a batch of clip talking astir procedural nonsense wrong the DNC. I committedness you cipher cares astir that, and cipher wants to speech astir it arsenic small arsenic I do. I privation america to get refocused," Kenyatta said. 

DNC CHAIR RIPPED DAVID HOGG OVER PARTY INFIGHTING IN LEAKED MEETING AUDIO: 'REALLY FRUSTRATING'

Hogg agreed, penning successful a lengthy X connection that helium was stepping down from the DNC, "so the enactment tin absorption connected what truly matters."

But Hogg ignited interior Democratic Party divisions this twelvemonth done his $20 cardinal program to superior situation susceptible incumbent Democrats helium said were "asleep astatine the wheel." The plan, done his extracurricular governmental enactment group, Leaders We Deserve, exposed an evident rift with DNC Chair Ken Martin, who gave Hogg the ultimatum to either forego his governmental power done his PAC oregon springiness up his DNC enactment position. 

DNC Chair Ken Martin speaks astatine the DNC Winter Meeting astatine the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center successful National Harbor, Md., connected Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

And the young progressive's departure did small to stall headlines astir the Democratic Party's disarray, arsenic this week DNC officials criticized Martin's enactment and The New York Times reported officials had considered borrowing wealth to wage the bills this year. 

Earlier this week, The New York Times besides archetypal reported that 2 apical national leaders had departed 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. 

"I look to beryllium retired of measurement with the enactment you are forging, and I bash not privation to beryllium the 1 who keeps questioning wherefore we are not enlarging our structure and actively trying to prosecute much and much of our communities," Weingarten, the acquisition person and longtime dependable successful Democratic politics, said successful a missive Martin that is present circulating connected societal media. 

Randi Weingarten, then-President of the American Federation of Teachers, reacts successful beforehand of the House Select Subcommittee connected the Coronavirus Pandemic connected Capitol Hill successful Washington connected April 26, 2023. (Reuters)

Hogg's determination to permission the DNC followed a damning Politico report, which included leaked audio from a Zoom gathering of Martin lamenting implicit Hogg's fallout astatine the DNC, claiming it had made it harder for Democrats to bash their jobs and for Martin to show his quality to lead.

"I don’t deliberation you intended this, but you fundamentally destroyed immoderate accidental I person to amusement the enactment that I request to. So, it’s truly frustrating," Martin said. 

Free submitted her complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 serviceman elections, successful which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. She claimed the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's proviso and parliamentary process and "discriminated against 3 women of colour candidates."

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"This was ne'er astir Malcolm Kenyatta oregon David Hogg," Free told Fox News Digital aft the Credentials Committee elevated her ailment earlier the afloat DNC. "For me, this was astir ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals arsenic the lone governmental enactment to judge successful and basal up for predetermination integrity and a escaped and just democracy."

The Democratic Party maintained that the vice-chair re-election had thing to bash with the superior contention Hogg stirred up earlier this year, but Hogg slammed the ballot arsenic a "fast-track" effort to region him from enactment leadership.