Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin stepped into his role in early 2025. He said last year it’s the “political equivalent of being a fire hydrant. You get pissed on by everyone.” That might be partially his own fault. The committee, under his leadership, is $2 million in debt. Their physical headquarters have been put up for collateral in a last-ditch attempt to obtain a line of credit. And Martin threw his phone at a junior aide in a fit of frustration at the beginning of the month, resulting in an HR investigation.
Tensions heightened at the DNC in May, when the long-awaited autopsy of the 2024 election loss was released – a typo-filled report with no solid thesis and notable absences of relevant details. There were few references to former president Joe Biden’s decision to run for reelection and subsequent withdrawal, and no mention of Israel or Gaza. The report resulted in in-fighting among the DNC and almost lost Martin his position.
It “was a major mistake. I own it,” he told Politico at the time. But “now it’s time for us to move forward at the DNC, and I hope that you’ll move forward with me.”
But is he ready to move forward? “He’s been super paranoid,” a DNC source told NOTUS, as evidenced by a recent decision for members to sign NDAs when attending a meeting about the committee’s financial circumstances.
