OXON HILL, Md. (AP) 69制片厂制作传媒 Democrats on Saturday elected Ken Martin, the party leader in Minnesota, as the national chair, turning to a low-profile Midwestern political operative to coordinate their resistance to presidency.
Martin succeeds Jaime Harrison of South Carolina atop the . Harrison did not seek another term after the 2024 election when Trump became the first Republican to win the popular vote in two decades and made modest gains with core Democratic constituencies 69制片厂制作传媒 African Americans, Latinos and working-class voters, among them.
Martin offered a warning to Trump and his Republican allies after the vote was announced: 69制片厂制作传媒淲e're coming. This is a new Democratic Party. We're taking the gloves off.69制片厂制作传媒
Martin now becomes one of the most important players in the Democratic Party69制片厂制作传媒檚 comeback attempt as Trump pushes the limits of presidential power. While Martin promised bold changes, he said he could not discuss specific actions until the party conducted a postelection review to determine what went wrong in November.
It is unclear how long the process might take. Martin said it would be completed 69制片厂制作传媒渁s quickly as possible69制片厂制作传媒 and then released publicly.
The party leadership election played out in suburban Washington as more than 400 DNC members from every state and U.S. territory assembled at the DNC's winter meeting.
Martin's ascendance comes less than two weeks after Trump69制片厂制作传媒檚 inauguration and as Democrats the sheer volume of executive orders, pardons, personnel changes and controversial relationships taking shape in the new administration. At the same time, public perception of the Democratic Party has hit rock bottom.
Just 31% of voters have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, according to a Quinnipiac University released this week. Forty-three percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party.
Martin, 51, easily defeated Wisconsin party chair Ben Wikler, who had earned the backing of leading Democratic donors and leaders in Congress, including the top Democrats in the House and Senate.
Ultimately, Martin's relationships with DNC members helped him overcome Wikler's higher-profile alliances. Martin is one of the longest serving state party chairs, having led the Minnesota Democratic-Labor-Farmer Party since 2011.
While the Democrats inside the cavernous hotel ballroom cheered Martin's election, not every one was convinced that he alone can lead the party's resurgence.
Jeanna Repass, the Kansas Democratic chair and an unsuccessful candidate for DNC vice chair, described Martin as 69制片厂制作传媒渁 workhorse69制片厂制作传媒 instead of 69制片厂制作传媒渁 champion."
69制片厂制作传媒淵our workhorse pulls the plow, and you need that. But we don69制片厂制作传媒檛 have that voice, that champion, to get out in front of us,69制片厂制作传媒 Repass said. "Donald Trump, for all of his faults, is able to get up there and lie with impunity and do it convincingly, and I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 hear or see that voice in our party.69制片厂制作传媒
Martin on Saturday promised to refocus the Democratic message on working-class voters, strengthen Democratic infrastructure across the country and improve the party69制片厂制作传媒檚 anti-Trump rapid response system. He has pledged not to shy away from Democrats69制片厂制作传媒 dedication to diversity and minority groups, a pillar of the modern-day party.
Still, Martin became the first white man to lead the DNC since 2011.
Also in the race were Martin O69制片厂制作传媒橫alley, a former Maryland governor and Biden administration official, and Faiz Shakir, who managed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders69制片厂制作传媒 last presidential campaign.
Candidate Marianne Williamson, an activist and author, surprised DNC members before voting began by endorsing Martin as 69制片厂制作传媒渙ur best chance to cut the cord with the billionaire funded corruption that will otherwise obstruct and limit our possibilities.69制片厂制作传媒
Fundraising was one of the few issues that differentiated the front-runners.
Some candidates criticized Wikler for relying on billionaires to fund his campaign. George Soros and Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn cofounder, each gave Wikler $250,000, according to federal filings.
Martin received a donation from a billionaire as well 69制片厂制作传媒 Vance Opperman, a Minnesota-based businessman, donated $100,000. Martin has defended the party's need accept money from wealthy donors to keep up with Republicans. He has said he would not take contributions from people who do not share his values.
The Democrats69制片厂制作传媒 connection to such wealthy contributors could undermine one of the party69制片厂制作传媒檚 central arguments against Trump, who has tapped more than a dozen billionaires for prominent roles in his nascent administration, none more prominent than Elon Musk.
Some of Martin's competitors were more willing to make sweeping changes.
Shakir called for a reliance on small-dollar donors, much more coordination with labor unions and less focus on minority groups sorted by race and gender. The only Muslim seeking the chairmanship, Shakir was alone during a recent candidate forum in opposing the creation of a Muslim caucus at the DNC.
Shakir earned just two votes, however. Martin got 246, Wikler 134 and O'Malley 44.
Some Democratic leaders remain concerned about the direction of their party.
69制片厂制作传媒淎s positive as I am and as hopeful as I am, I69制片厂制作传媒檓 watching this in real time, thinking to myself, 69制片厂制作传媒榃e69制片厂制作传媒檙e in real trouble because I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 see a desire to change,69制片厂制作传媒69制片厂制作传媒 Repass said.
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