(news nation) — after the November election. Democratic Party With Democrats out of office and Republicans retaining a majority in the Senate, Democratic voters, donors and even elected officials are demanding change.
The average American may not know who the chairman of the Democratic National Committee is, but the role has a direct impact on their lives.
With the re-election of the next president, donald trumpthe chairman will undoubtedly be tasked with pushing back on many of the policies his administration and Trump seek to enact.
The Chair also plays a key role in organizing and steering the direction of the party through the candidates the DNC supports and the policies subsequently enacted.
Current DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison has decided not to run for the position again. There are currently four candidates running to become the new DNC chair.
- Ken Martin, Minnesota Democratic Party-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Leader
- Martin O'Malley, former Governor of Maryland
- James Skoufis, New York State Senator
- Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman
All four candidates gave in-depth interviews with NewsNation and were asked the same questions to better understand and compare their candidacies. Click on the name to read each Q&A. martin, O'Malley, Skoufis, vikler.
While some parties have been described as being in disarray, there is a difference between these four candidates in diagnosing what went wrong in the 2024 election and where the party should go. There are quite a few points of agreement and overlap.
All four readily admit that Democrats failed to make a strong enough economic argument. They make it clear that it's important to focus on down-ballot races as well.
They all also point out that Democrats need to reach out and meet voters where they are, whether on social media platforms or in traditionally Republican areas.
Each of them seems confident that they are ready to fight back against the incoming Trump administration. And they recognize that the diversity of the Democratic Party, even though they are all white men, is a strength and one that should be trusted and elevated to the chair.
In their differing experiences, communication styles, and subtle differences in planning, we can spot strategic differences and assess how they will shape the future of the party.
For example, two of the candidates are state party chairs (Mr. Wikler and Mr. Martin), while two others hold elected office (Mr. Skoufis and Mr. O'Malley).
Both Mr. Wikler and Mr. Martin plan to nationalize the successes they have had in their respective states as organizers to create change and win future elections.
As elected officials, both Mr. O'Malley and Mr. Skoufis had to answer to voters and point to their career successes as proof that they could create the change necessary for the Democratic Party's success.
ben wickler
Wikler's motto for this race is “Unite.” fight. win. “We won the U.S. Senate election…we flipped 14 seats in the state Legislature, thanks in part to the maps we fought for and fought for,” Wikler said of the November election. He also noted last year's success in winning a majority on the state Supreme Court.
Citing a persistent year-round campaign effort, Wikler said his team is already focused on future elections, including adding seats to the state Supreme Court in the spring. He believes the Democratic Party is “on track for a Democratic trifecta in 2026, after being pretty red for a few years.”
Wikler explained that while Wisconsin voted for Trump, the rightward shift of voters in Wisconsin was less pronounced than in other battleground states.
“The party has an opportunity and a need to rebuild the Democratic brand,” Wikler said. He wants to focus on uniting the National Party “around the work that needs to be done in every state” to prepare for elections between now and the 2028 presidential election.
Ken Martin
“I'm 25 and 0,” Martin said, noting that the party has never lost a statewide election since he officially became chairman of the Minnesota Democratic Party in 2011. .
He believes Minnesota's reputation as a blue state comes after years of building its DFL.
Martin said that while people may take it for granted that Democrats will win in Minnesota, “that's simply not true. It's a pretty purple state. And anyone who's been paying attention But we know we are one of the closest non-swing states in the country.”
Indeed, at the state level, Democrats lost control of state legislatures. Martin noted that Democrats will have to come to a power-sharing agreement going forward, but they have not completely lost their majority.
Martin, who is currently vice chair of the DNC and chairman of the state Democratic Party committee, has a 10-point plan for how the Democratic Party can rebuild and plan for success over the next 10 years. He also emphasized year-round organizing efforts.
Martin O'Malley
Mr. O'Malley was accountable to voters, first as mayor of Baltimore (1999-2007) and then as governor of Maryland (2007-2015). He most recently served as head of the Social Security Administration, but resigned early to run for DNC chairman.
As governor of Maryland, O'Malley was also elected president of the Democratic Governors Association for three years (2010-2012), and cited his successes during his tenure as evidence of his track record as DNC chair.
As DGA chair, O'Malley was responsible for strategy for more than 50 states, ultimately “expanding the map to so-called red states where he won gubernatorial races in Montana, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina.” said.
Explaining what worked, O'Malley said: “We've honed our message into three words: Opportunity. Now.' And guess what? We can fight under that flag in every state in the Union and win. I did.”
After the November loss, O'Malley said the DNC “needs more openness and transparency, not the way it's been.”
“It's a wartime scaffolding chair, not an administrative chair.”
james scourfis
Mr. Skoufis currently serves in the New York State Senate. He said he won the seat three times as a Democrat in districts that favored Trump.
He used that success to argue that the Democratic Party needs outsiders like him, “coming in with a track record of winning, because that's all we should care about. ” he claims.
Skoufis believes too many Americans don't understand what the Democratic Party stands for and wants to “make major changes to the Democratic National Committee and rebuild it from the ground up.” .
He also wants to work with state chairs like Martin and Wikler to ensure Democrats keep states like Minnesota blue in 2028 and bring Wisconsin back to blue.
Despite not being well known nationally, Skoufis said there was a “very strong desire to try something new” among DNC members, and that he had been cut off from all activities to this point. We don't want to repeat the same mistakes that led us over and over again.” Power in Washington. ”
There are 448 DNC members. Who will vote for committee chair along with other leadership positions at the Feb. 1 committee meeting.
