Members of Congress are urging Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin to resign following the release of the DNC’s 2024 election autopsy. Critical comments have come from several Democratic House members, according to Axios.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) stated, “He should resign,” pointing out the “lack of leadership” and expressing frustration over the delay in releasing the report. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) echoed this sentiment, telling a radio caller, “I agree… We can’t do it with what we have.” Rep. Mark Veasey (D-Texas) noted the absence of a turnaround plan, saying, “the clock is ticking… I believe it’s time for him to move on.” Axios highlighted the DNC’s poor fundraising performance compared to the Republican Party, adding to the dissatisfaction.
Outside Congress, there’s been significant backlash as well. Dan Pfeiffer, a political commentator and former Obama advisor, claimed Martin is “not the right person to lead the DNC at this time.” Daniel Butterfield, who leads a progressive super PAC, accused Martin of “holding back our progress.” He remarked, “It’s pretty damning that instead of actually discussing the report’s content, they’re focusing on whether Ken Martin should resign.”
The DNC finally released a nearly 200-page report after months of increasing pressure. Initially submitted last fall, Martin chose not to publicize it then, fearing it might detract from the Democratic victory in November. However, he shared a letter explaining his standpoint on Thursday.
“I am not proud of this product. This product does not meet my standards and will not meet yours,” he stated. He expressed that he could not ethically endorse the report. However, he emphasized the importance of transparency and published the report without edits, including annotations on claims he couldn’t verify.
The report, prepared by Democratic strategist Paul Rivera—who Martin had appointed—describes a party that has been “oscillating between stagnation and regression” since President Obama’s 2008 victory. It criticizes President Biden and Harris for not presenting a clearer candidate than simply being “not Trump.” Some argue the autopsy misses the core reasons why voters turned away from Kamala Harris and other Democrats in 2024.
Democratic megadonor John Morgan noted in a Fox News interview that the party’s policies appear to be losing ground. He highlighted concerns regarding diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), a “woke” culture, open borders, and issues related to competition in sports, which the 192-page report notably fails to address.
