Summary
Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor party, won the race to lead the Democratic National Committee, defeating Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler.
Martin takes over as Democrats grapple with major losses in the 2024 elections and seek to reconnect with working-class voters.
Supporters see his leadership as key to rebuilding the party, while critics worry it signals a continuation of the status quo.
His first major test will be the 2026 midterms as Democrats attempt to reclaim the House and rebuild their electoral strategy.
As long as Republicans move to the right, Democrats will too.
And that’s the reason for my comment.
We’re already at the point where if we go one hair further we never get another election. I’m not 100% sure we aren’t already past that point.
I’ve chased Dems as they’ve run right for voters, with the implied promise that if only they had control they’d be pulling some things in the other direction, for multiple decades. I have supported and agreed with the folks who have pointed out that during their only short period of real control they did manage to get the ACA (and probably other things I’m forgetting) passed.
They need another strategy than “we’re going to chase the less crazy R voters” if they want my vote again. They need a strategy other than “follow us to the right and we promise we’ll pull left when we can.”
Because events like this (and I well know there are many more), combined with how aggressively Kamala chased R voters, to the detriment of campaigning for D votes, make me feel that the only people who ever thought they had an intent to let progressive or even non-geriatric voices hold power were the idiots like me who kept voting for them.
I’m only going to get Charlie Browned so many times, and 2024 showed me exactly how many times.