The chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor Party (DFL) and a candidate for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, Ken Martin, emphasized the necessity for the party to “recenter” its agenda following a series of losses in the recent elections.
Martin noted a drastic change in public perception regarding the two main political parties. “For the first time in modern history, the perceptions that Americans have of the two major political parties switched.
The majority of Americans now believe the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor, and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and the elites,” he stated in his proposal for the DNC framework.
Martin highlights the perception of Democrats as elites in his call for change
He expressed concern about the damaging implications for the Democratic brand. “It’s a damning indictment on our party brand. We must be willing to dig deep and recenter the Democratic agenda to unite families across race, age, background, and class,” he said. “This will take a massive narrative and branding project to establish who we are in the eyes of American voters.”
As one of several candidates vying for the DNC chair position, Martin joins others like Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
Martin has led the Minnesota DFL since 2011 and serves as both a vice chair of the DNC and president of the Association of State Democratic Committees. He has reportedly received over 100 endorsements from DNC members so far.
In his proposed framework, Martin advocated for funding all 57 state and territorial Democratic organizations, suggesting that state chairs and executive directors should hold full-time, paid positions.
He contended that the party’s involvement should extend beyond presidential elections to include crucial down-ballot races, such as those for school boards and mayors. Additionally, Martin called for the party to “show up in non-traditional and uncomfortable media spaces on a regular basis” and to create new forums for voter engagement.
“My plan is focused on making sure we can compete in every zip code and every community—with the organizational and structural changes we need to make that happen,” he wrote in a post on X outlining his strategy.
The election for the DNC chair is set for February 1, with four candidate forums planned prior to that date.
