Democratic chair faces calls to quit over ‘shambles’ of election autopsy release | Democrats

Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, faces growing calls to resign over his chaotic handling of the autopsy report on Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Martin suppressed the document for months before finally bowing to internal pressure and releasing it on Thursday. The botched nature of the autopsy, omitting Joe Biden’s decision to seek a second term and failing to mention the words “Gaza” or “Israel,” only deepened a crisis of confidence in his leadership.

Democratic members of Congress have called on Martin to step down. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts told the news site Axios, “He should resign” because of “his lack of leadership.” Moulton added that it was “completely crazy that it took us this long to release the autopsy.”

Texas’ Marc Veasey sounded the alarm ahead of the midterm elections, telling Semafor: “There doesn’t seem to be a plan to change things and time is running out. November is literally approaching…I think it’s time for him to move on.”

Wisconsin’s Mark Pocan, appearing on the Thom Hartmann Program, said in response to a caller who argued that Martin should leave: “I agree…Having what we have right now is not enough.” »

Other voices joined the chorus. Tommy Vietor, a former spokesperson for President Barack Obama, posted on

Emily Amick, a Democratic strategist and former adviser to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said in a statement: “Ken Martin has lost the trust of the party and of voters across the country who are drifting away from the Democratic Party cycle after cycle. I wonder how we can move forward with him leading the presidential primary process without that trust.”

She added: “There has apparently been no oversight of this report, and Ken saw it last year and did nothing about it. His handling of the report throughout this process has been an embarrassment and a damning indictment of his ability to lead the DNC.”

Both major parties have in the past ordered post-mortems following losses to explore lessons learned, including interviewing party leaders, activists and donors and analyzing spending and messaging.

Martin gave the latest report to Paul Rivera, a Democratic consultant and friend he has known for more than 20 years, on a part-time, unpaid basis.

Rivera found that Democrats had lost ground to Trump and Republicans due to underfunding of state parties and a “persistent inability or refusal to listen to all voters.” He criticizes Democrats’ emphasis on “identity politics” and warns that they can no longer assume that Latino voters, particularly young Latino men, are a reliable part of their base.

But the 192-page document includes a disclaimer at the top of each page stating that it “reflects the views of the author, not those of the DNC,” and accompanying notes highlight inaccuracies as well as conclusions made without evidence.

In a statement accompanying the botched release, Martin said it “does not meet my standards, and it will not meet your standards”, but that it was being released to restore confidence in the party. He wrote that he withheld the report after last November’s Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey to avoid distraction, but acknowledged that the decision only created a bigger one. “For this I sincerely apologize,” he said.

That explanation barely resonated with Democratic campaign groups amid broader concerns about Martin, who has struggled to keep up with his Republican counterpart as the party’s fundraiser.

Norm Solomon, co-founder of the online activist group RootsAction, said by phone Friday: “It’s a disaster. Shockingly third-rate. You wouldn’t even submit this as an undergraduate assignment and expect to get a passing grade at a college with standards. Unfortunately, at every step of the algorithm that unfolded, Martin took the wrong path.”

He added: “I don’t think it’s hindsight. It’s common sense that if you want a project to encompass the scale of the problem and suggest sufficient solutions, you don’t hand it over to a guy who happens to be your friend and then let it sit when garbage is submitted. You face the fact that it needs a vast overhaul and you don’t accept the idea that the source material remains a mystery.”

Amanda Litman, who runs the Democratic-allied organization Run For Something, posted: “Ken Martin is not up to the job of DNC chair – the most important part of which is preparing to lead the presidential primary process with confidence and competence – and should resign.” »

David Hogg, founder of Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots organization focused on electing young progressives, said in a statement: “Ken Martin should resign, and the DNC should choose a new leader who demonstrates competence, creativity, moral clarity, and a relentless commitment to truly changing the broken brand of the Democratic Party.” »

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) conducted an overnight survey of 1,207 members and found that 95% want Martin to resign after the post-mortem is published. The PCCC announced it would launch a campaign to publicly call Democratic state presidents, urging them to call on Martin to resign.

Maria Langholz, director of strategic campaigns for the PCCC, said: “The DNC autopsy fiasco is bigger than a bad report. It reflects a deeper distrust of the entire Democratic establishment that continually circles around weak leadership and disconnected ideas.”

“The same political instincts that elevated Ken Martin also championed Joe Biden’s bid for a second term, protected corporate PAC money at the DNC, and put the finger on the scales of uninspiring establishment candidates versus the change candidates like Graham Platner and Abdul El-Sayed that voters crave.

Martin still has prominent supporters at the Capitol, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Congressman Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, Axios reported.

But speculation is already turning to potential successors. Last week, Litman told The Associated Press that she had been approached by top strategists gauging her interest in replacing Martin, but said no.

Other names could include Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Association of State Democratic Parties, and Ben Wikler, former chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, who lost to Martin in last year’s DNC election and is about to publish a book, This Is The Plan: How to End America’s Meltdown and Save Democracy.

The website Politico reported that several strategists nominated former Montana Sen. Jon Tester for his “fundraising ability and outspoken appeal to the middle of the country,” but when Politico called Tester, he responded, “Get out of here.” Are you on illegal substances?