The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is in full damage-control mode. Its plan for dealing with a chairman facing calls for his resignation, angry donors, and possible 2028 candidates who will not go near him is fairly simple: sit tight and hope November gets here first.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin is operating in what is described charitably as "survival mode." He has avoided national media, monitored his critics online and resisted substantive changes at the organization he was elected to lead. A half-dozen state party leaders and DNC members described him as defensive and distrustful, including toward members of his own team. Most would only discuss it anonymously.
The DNC membership, meanwhile, shows no sign of replacing Martin before the midterms. Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib told the media he sees no movement toward a change, and Martin has told him he intends to stay. Apparently, the calendar is now the fire extinguisher.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had three chances to say whether he had confidence in Martin. He declined all three, even while praising the DNC's proposed presidential primary calendar. Three chances. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has already fielded calls about trying again if the job opens.
Shannon Watts, the former leader of Moms Demand Action and a member of the DNC's 2024 finance committee, volunteered to help Martin and never received a call. A staffer later contacted her after she criticized Martin online and asked her to delete the post. So the DNC did know how to find her number.
"Ken needs to step aside. I think Ken knows he needs to step aside," Watts said. "There's a reason he's worried he's going to be fired and it's because he's not up to the job."
The numbers give Martin's critics plenty to work with. The DNC ended June with about $16.3 million in cash and more than $18 million in debt. The Republican National Committee reported more than $128 million in cash and no debt. The DNC also used its Washington headquarters as collateral for a $15 million line of credit.
The committee also lost nearly $29,000 to a phishing email impersonating Martin and recovered only $7,000. DNC officials were already asking vendors to delay sending bills until after the midterms. The party asking voters to trust it with the federal budget could not keep a scam email out of its own inbox.
Martin says the cash gap reflects a choice to spend early on state parties, organizers and voter outreach, and claims the DNC's fundraising is nearly 63 percent ahead of the comparable stretch during President Donald Trump's first term. The RNC has $128 million in cash. The DNC is negotiating bill timing with its vendors. Strong quarter.
Major donors remain unconvinced. Some have redirected money to the party's House and Senate campaign committees. Rufus Gifford, who led fundraising for former President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign, said he has never heard from Martin and warned that the committee was "spiraling toward irrelevance."
"At this point, I think there is no saving Martin's chairmanship. He is a good man with good intentions but simply not meeting this critical moment," Gifford wrote. "As Democrats, the only solution is to acknowledge the problem and fix it. Now."
Florida Democrat donor Bob Kerrigan said the DNC had not even asked him to contribute. Kerrigan estimates that he has given roughly $2 million to candidates over the years. Nobody called.
"There's a more fundamental issue: What the hell do they do?" Kerrigan asked. "They are all in the beltway bubble and they are all important and they collect all sorts of money but what do they do?"
Martin did get a lifeline from Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), who said the chairman has his "full support" and pointed to Democrat wins since Martin took over. A lifeline. Not a verdict.
Removing Martin would require a majority vote from the DNC's more than 400 members, plus somebody willing to take the job. Former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and former Sen. Jon Tester (MT) have both declined the opportunity. Martin has not made the waiting period especially restful: In early July, he reportedly threw his phone at a junior aide's desk while upbraiding the aide, prompting a formal human resources complaint.
Then the week got worse.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's affair scandal resurfaced with new details.
A redistricting analysis found the median House district had shifted to R+3, leaving Democrats needing to win 57 of 77 swing seats just to flip the majority.
Maine Democrats discovered their replacement Senate nominee and his partner are second cousins.
Read More: DNC Deputy Goes Full Dr. Evil With Bizarre Pep Talk After Dems’ Disastrous 72 Hours
Report: More Turmoil at the DNC With Leaks, Tantrums, and Phone-Throwing Drama
Michigan's Democrat Senate primary descended into open accusations of antisemitism, with Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) accusing rival Abdul El-Sayed of blaming his problems on Jewish Americans.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced she would skip her own party's convention because she did not feel safe there. A sitting attorney general. At her own party's convention.
Martin remains chairman because his critics have neither the votes nor a replacement, and November is close enough to make delay look like a plan. It is a party praying the calendar saves them from having to make a decision.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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