Democrats, looking for a path back to power in Washington, have a new national chair to lead the effort. Ken Martin, the head of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, won on the first ballot at a Democratic National Committee meeting on Saturday, NPR reports, turning back competitive bids by Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. In his acceptance speech, Martin promised a unified party leadership. "We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party. We have one fight, one fight," he said. "The fight's not in here."
The campaign focused on the DNC's internal mechanisms more than the election losses in November, per the New York Times. The body helps set the party's tone and goals as it supports down-ballot candidates between presidential elections in addition to building an operation for the eventual presidential nominee. In campaigning for the post, Martin, 51, told DNC members he'll pay more attention to their concerns than past chairs have. Although the party may seem to face a tough road back, the new chair steps into an organization that's raised record amounts of money and made record investments in data and organizing resources, per NPR, which has made it more integrated with state and local party operations.
With former President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris moving on, and few other Democrats commanding much attention, the election gives party regulars somebody to rally around, per the Hill. In his speech Saturday, Martin acknowledged the seven people he defeated for the job. "It is my guarantee to each of you that we're going to take the great ideas from all the candidates in this race," he said. (More Democratic National Committee stories.)
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