Minneapolis (AP) – Ken Martin It’s in the battle of his life.
Minnesota’s modest political operative, who has only six months as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, leads the party’s formal resistance to President Donald Trump and is accused of revising his democratic brand.
“Frankly, I don’t think the biggest disparity right now in our party is ideology,” Martin told The Associated Press. “The biggest gap is those who are standing up and fighting, and those who are sitting on the sidelines.”
“We use levers of all the power that we have to fight Donald TrumpHe spoke about the DNC.
Still, there is evidence that if hundreds of Democrat officials gather in Martin’s Minneapolis homeland on Monday for his first official DNC meeting since he became chairman, the Battle of Martin could be extended far beyond the current residents of the oval office.
Large democratic donors are unhappy with the direction of their party and have not written checks. Political factions are Israel-Hamas War. The party’s message is vague. The main segments of democratic bases – working-class voters and young people, among others – are drifting away.
And there is the deep frustration that Democrats have not done enough to stop the Republican president under Martin’s leadership – no matter how harsh his rhetoric is.
“There’s no magical modification,” said Gianna Lepas, chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party, who praised Martin’s performance so far. “He’s trying to lead when everyone wants to fix it right now. That’s not happening.”
During this three-day summer meeting, DNC officials said: A sense of pessimism and frustration that consumed the Democrats This is the first time since Republicans seized control of the White House and Congress last fall.
It may not be that easy.
Confidence questions and money troubles
At least a few DNC members are personally considering bringing up a lackluster vote this week for Martin, in order to raise the committee’s overwhelming funding, according to people who know first hand about the situation where they were allowed to be anonymous to share internal discussions. Ultimately, the unconfident vote won’t move forward as Martin’s critics were unable to gain sufficient support from the broader membership of the party, including more than 400 elected officials from all states and several regions.
Still, the committee’s financial situation is weaker than the opposition parties.
The latest federal filing reveals that DNC has $14 million in its banks at the end of July, compared to the Republican National Committee’s $84 million. Democrats’ figures represent the lowest level of cash in hand at least in the last five years.
Martin and his allies, including his predecessor Jaime Harrison, argue that it is not fair to compare Democrat Joe Biden with the party’s current financial health these days in the White House.
Harrison pointed out 2017 as a more accurate comparison. That year, the committee struggled to raise money in the months that first lost to Trump. And in the subsequent midterm elections in 2018, Harrison said Democrats overcame fundraising issues and won a House majority and several Senate seats.
“These are just the usual pain of being a Democrat when we don’t have the White House,” Harrison said. “Ken is finding his footing.”
Martin admitted that large donors were burning out after the last election, and the committee was forced to resort to smaller dollar donors.
“Money is not the ultimate determinant in this (midterm) election,” Martin said. “We invest in state parties and record our investments. …We have the money to run. We are not in a bad position.”
Gaza debate can get ugly
Martin is widely popular among DNC ranks and files, but the internal division could be publicly burning this week as the committee considers competing resolutions on the Israel-Hamas War.
According to documents reviewed by the AP, the DNC proposes that Congressional Democrats halt military aid in Israel, establish an arms embargo and encourage Palestine to recognize the country. The measure also states that the Gaza crisis has been lost Over 60,000 people living And the movement of 1.7 million Palestinians was in the hands of the Israeli government.
The DNC leadership led by Martin has introduced competing resolutions that add more context to the Israeli agenda.
For example, one line refers to “the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis,” pointing to the number of Israelis killed in Hamas’s October 7 attack In Israel. Martin’s version is seeking solutions for the two states, but does not mention the number of Palestinians killed or evacuated. It will also not end military aid or arms embargo.
Meanwhile, another proposed resolution would reaffirm the DNC’s commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” Many Democrats, businesses and educational institutions are distanced from the DEI program after Trump and other Republicans attacked them as a “wakening” policy for the Democratic Party.
Ultimately, Martin said the party needs to focus its message on the economy.
“There’s no doubt we have to go back to a message that resonates with our voters,” he said. “And focusing on the economic agenda will lead all parts of the Union and Americans into conversation.”
“We definitely have something to do,” he added.
The President’s outlook on the agenda
The DNC has been apart for years from deciding on the state’s first vote on the 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar, but that debate begins in earnest at a Minneapolis gathering. There, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz and Minnesota Sen Seng Ami Klobuchar.
Martin said the DNC has pushed back traditional openers Iowa and New Hampshire as they are open to changes from the 2024 calendar kicked off in South Carolina. Recently, Iowa Democrats are public He threatened to be fraudulent If it is skipped again in 2028, ignore the DNC wish.
This week’s DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee is expected to outline what the next calendar selection process will look like, but the calendar itself may not be completed until 2027.
“We make sure the process is open, so that the state that we want to bid on the early window can do that,” Martin said.
