DNC crisis: Infighting, image and financial problems

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is facing problems on several fronts. In addition to the challenge of rebuilding the party's image after the four years of the Biden-Harris administration, the young management of Ken Martin added an internal crisis and a significant economic hole. The New York Times explained this after interviewing dozens of donors, strategists, legislators and members of the DNC.

Martin, former chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, was elected to lead the DNC in February, after defeating a diverse field of candidates. He had some high-profile endorsements for the election, including Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Governor Tim Walz, James Clyburn and former Congressman Dean Phillips, one of the only Democrats to challenge Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.

Upon arriving, he immediately ran into an internal crisis sparked by newly elected DNC Vice Chair David Hogg. The trouble began when Hogg, a 25-year-old activist, unilaterally announced a $20 million campaign to unseat Democratic incumbents he deemed "ineffective." Martin felt this disempowered him, which triggered an internal conflict ending with a vote to oust Hogg and Malcom Kenyatta.

In addition, two important union leaders left their respective positions in the DNC, citing differences with the leadership. They are Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

In addition to the internal conflicts and the image problem, another challenge was added: an economic one. According to the Times, the DNC is "mired in chaos and desperate for money."

"The biggest challenge now facing Mr. Martin may be financial"

With the internal crisis behind him, Martin set out to examine the 2024 presidential election. Specifically, he commissioned Paul Rivera, a veteran Democratic strategist, to conduct a comprehensive review of what went wrong in the campaign. The report will include 200 interviews, and he hopes to assuage the discontent of some donors.

"People invested more money than ever, put in more effort than ever, and they're pretty frustrated with the outcome. They want answers. I don't take it personally. I wasn't in charge," Martin noted on the matter.

Other of Martin's initiatives include a YouTube show and significantly increasing the amount of funds sent toward local parties. "Everything that Ken has done, regardless of the drama that it has caused, has been the right moves. He does the work. He rolls up the sleeves," Maria Cardona, a member of the Democratic National Committee, stressed in dialogue with the NYT.

However, the media outlet underlines financial problems as the most serious. Added to the increase in funds for local parties is the very low enthusiasm of Democratic donors. They are even expressly considering the possibility of borrowing money to maintain the level of spending.

"That’s certainly not our plan right now. I don’t know if we’ll have to at this point. He noted that grass-roots fund-raising had remained strong, and the party said small donations in his first three months were the most under a new chairman," the DNC chairman said on the issue.

Federal Election Commission reports show that only three people donated $100,000 or more to the DNC.

"The party out of power often falls behind the one holding the White House. Still, the current financial gap is large: $18 million on hand for the D.N.C. entering May, compared with $67.4 million for the R.N.C. Hefty chunks sit in special accounts that cannot be used for operational costs," the Times added.

Democrats tried to raise enthusiasm and revenue with a recent event in New York with Kamala Harris. However, it raised less than many Democrats projected: $300,000.

How to reverse the bad image of the Democratic Party?

he task Martin gave Paul Rivera has to do with finding out how the party's image got to be the worst in decades. So found a CNN poll conducted in March, which found that only 29% of Americans have a positive image of the party. This is the worst number since the poll began in mid-2006.

The result comes after four years of Joe Biden, in which voters associated the party with high inflation, an out-of-control southern border, transgender athletes in women's sports and weak leadership.

At the same time, another June poll found a finding that CNN called troubling. "The other notable finding is on which party is the 'party of change'. Americans chose Republicans, 32% to 25%. (...) That’s not a big gap, but it is counterintuitive given Republicans swept the House, Senate and White House last fall. Historically speaking, it’s almost always the party that’s out of power that’s viewed as the party of change," they added.

For Martin, another issue to address is the Democrats' own opinion of their leadership. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 62% of Democrats believe the leadership should be replaced, evidencing a disconnect of priorities between voters and decision makers.

The issue was addressed by Gavin Newsom, the California governor who is pivoting to the center heading into the 2028 primary. “People don't trust us, they don't think we have their backs on issues that are core to them, which are these kitchen table issues,” he said on his podcast, in which he talks with figures from across the political spectrum. From Charlie Kirk and Newt Gingrich to Tim Walz and Rahm Emanuel.