Insiders at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have reportedly been looking to oust Ken Martin as chair, believing he failed to help the party recover from the 2024 election.
A report from The Bulwark spoke with at least three anonymous sources inside the DNC who confirmed that the party has grown increasingly frustrated with Martin’s leadership, especially after he appeared on Pod Save America where defended himself “against charges that he has backed out of his promise to release an after-action report about what went wrong in the 2024 election, as well as accusations that the DNC has had trouble raising money and balancing its budget.”
“The concerns have become so pronounced in recent weeks that some DNC members have privately discussed trying to force Martin out of the job, according to three people familiar with these conversations,” the report said. “The idea was put on hold after members failed to identify an alternative candidate willing to step into the role.”
The frustration over Martin’s leadership has only worsened in recent months, with some members entertaining resolutions that might force him to balance the DNC budget.
“I think that would be a very hard job, no matter who has it. But [Martin] seems to be uniquely ill-suited for it,” Democratic strategist Jesse Lehrich told The Bulwark. “The Pod Save interview was mind-blowing to me.”
Under Martin’s leadership, the DNC has spent more money than it has raised, while the RNC retains a “roughly seven-to-one money advantage,” with Martin taking out a $15 million loan last October for elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Insiders say he may take a similar loan this summer or else lay off staff.
“The biggest strike against him is that he seems to be utterly incapable of managing a budget,” said one anonymous source. “To put the DNC in such a bad financial situation going into what is … likely to be the most wild [presidential] primary we’ve had in a while — it reeks of irresponsibility and immaturity.”
“It just feels like we’re being gaslit at this point,” the source added.
Michael Kapp, a California-based DNC member, defended Martin’s tenure, saying he has been “shifting the party away from a consultant-centered model and toward one that is more centered on state parties and organizers — and that was always going to create friction.”
“The loudest people in D.C. — including the Pod Save America folks — are often the furthest away from the doors that are being knocked. What I’m hearing from state parties, organizers, and activists on the ground is overwhelmingly positive,” Kapp added. “Since [Martin’s] become DNC chair, we won 30 out of 30 State House legislative flips. The strategy is working.”
