{"id":2211,"date":"2026-08-12T19:32:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T19:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2026-08-12T19:32:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T19:32:42","slug":"were-longtime-dnc-members-and-we-support-ken-martin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2211","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019re Longtime DNC Members\u2014and We Support Ken Martin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"\">\n<div id=\"article-title-block_928373cd8b39d11e0192eb62ac65c0b1\" class=\"article-title \">\n<div class=\"article-title__container\">\n<div class=\"article-title__eyebrow\">\n                            <span class=\"article-title__labels\"><br \/>\n                                        <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/subject\/politics\/\">Politics<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <span class=\"article-title__date\">August 12, 2026<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Many of those trying to bring the DNC chair down just want the party to continue to act as an ATM machine for their consultancies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad-block ad siderail-ad float-r-w-3 break-r-4\">\n<p>                                    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"ad-policy\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n                                    <\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"907\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693.jpg\" alt=\"Ken Martin speaks at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, Feb. 21, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-606836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26099844423693-793x500.jpg 793w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n<p>Ken Martin speaks at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, February 21, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"credits\">(Jeff Chiu \/ AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">We write as longtime members of the Democratic National Committee who for decades have been fighting for deep reforms in how the party operates and the role that money plays in distorting our politics. Given this, one might think that we would be joining the chorus of those sniping at current DNC chair Ken Martin. We are not. We support Martin because, in a word, he\u2019s a reformer too.<\/p>\n<p>Later this week, when the party meets in Austin, Martin will present a comprehensive plan to ban \u201cdark money, \u201d i.e., corporate and billionaire super PACs, from Democratic presidential primaries. If this plan passes, it will represent the most significant change in nominating the party\u2019s presidential candidate in decades. (We have been involved in the crafting of this plan, and Martin has asked us to serve on a task force for its implementation.)<\/p>\n<p>Getting the polluting impact of dark money out of our politics is a big deal. While it\u2019s been a problem for years, it took Ken Martin to say \u201cEnough!\u201d and then get the ball rolling to do something about it.<\/p>\n<p>Why, then, are there so many articles from non-DNC members decrying Martin\u2019s year-and-a-half-long tenure? One such example appeared in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/elections\/democrats-picked-a-chairman-from-the-grassroots-now-some-see-a-10-alarm-fire-cbac8cd5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> piece<\/a>. Rufus Gifford, the 2024 finance chair for the Biden and Harris presidential campaigns, told the paper, \u201cThe two primary jobs of the Democratic National Committee are one, fundraising, and two, going on every form of media every day and messaging. If you cannot do those two things as DNC Chair, then you can\u2019t do the job effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gifford\u2019s remarks might be considered more than a bit cheeky coming from an official in the campaign that spent well over one billion dollars and lost to Donald Trump. More to the point, however, his comments display a lack of understanding of the role of the Democratic Party and its chair. To be clear, Martin has been raising money\u2014at a better clip than other chairs in the first two years after losing the White House. And he has been doing quite a bit of media. Unfortunately, because his detractors have made a mission of tearing him down, Martin\u2019s appearances have all too often been focused on defending the DNC and his goals for the party.<\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Party which Martin inherited was in disarray. During the past several decades, America has witnessed the devolution of both major political parties. Instead of being entities that organized and mobilized voters to win elections, they had become hollowed-out fundraising vehicles for campaigns and the consultants whom they hired.<\/p>\n<div id=\"current-issue-block_7e5f27f45d502cce39af0bb2905e27eb\" class=\"current-issue  float-l-w-2\">\n<h4 class=\"current-issue__title\">\n                    Current Issue<br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/issue\/september-2026-issue\/\" class=\"current-issue__cover\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of September 2026 Issue\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While consultants became the main beneficiaries of the billions raised and spent in each election cycle, state parties were starved for cash. The consultant groups even received contracts from campaigns to hire canvassers, from other states, to go door to door in critical districts\u2014a function that had traditionally been performed by locally elected precinct captains. But because organizing the state parties had been deprioritized in favor of shipping off funds to consultant groups, the parties got weaker and consultants got richer.<\/p>\n<p>After having served as chair of the Minnesota Farm Labor Party for 14 years and for eight years as the president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, Ken Martin was easily elected by the members of the DNC who shared his commitment to rebuilding the party from the bottom up and channeling more DNC funds to state parties instead of the consultant groups.<\/p>\n<p>Including his time as head of the ASDC, the amount of money that the DNC sends to state parties has quadrupled\u2014now totaling over $1 million per month. As a result, many states have been able to open regional offices and hire more on-the-ground staff.<\/p>\n<p>Martin has also pushed for and won support for other reforms that contribute to making party operations more financially transparent, accountable, and democratic. Many of these changes were in evidence at the last meeting of the DNC. There was, for example, a detailed presentation and discussion of budgetary matters\u2014something we reformers had long sought. Instead of the normal practice that allowed the chair to appoint all at-large members to the DNC and hand-select members of the decision-making standing committees, Martin introduced a reform that empowers the membership to select and elect some of the at-large and committee positions. Martin also implemented neutrality for party officers in the nominating process. While more can be done, these initial steps are consequential.<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"cta-block_65204bc565f82614c31f096f5b2c6fa8\" class=\"cta float-l-w-3\">\n<p>Over decades, issues of controversy have rarely been debated and then voted on by the full membership. Someone once described being a DNC member as akin to going to church, where congregants learn when to stand up, sit down, clap, and leave\u2014and to never ask tough questions. This is no longer the case.<\/p>\n<p>At the last meeting\u2019s general session there were two amendments introduced seeking to modify Martin\u2019s resolution to ban dark money. In earlier years, these efforts never would have been recognized or, at minimum, ruled out of order. Martin heard them out. They were debated from the floor. One was defeated and one was passed.<\/p>\n<p>We know that many of those who are creating the campaign against Martin are those who opposed his candidacy and have the most to lose from the changes he is implementing. They want the party to continue to act as an ATM machine for their consultancies. Instead, Martin wants to build and democratize the party\u2014and that is what all Democrats should be supporting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-end-\" class=\"article-end \">\n<div class=\"article-end__authors\">\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/larry-cohen\/\">Larry Cohen<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>Larry Cohen is the former president of the Communications Workers of America and the founding chair of <a href=\"https:\/\/ourrevolution.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Our Revolution.<\/a> He has been a member of the Democratic National Committee for two decades.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/james-zogby\/\">James Zogby<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<p>                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jjz1600\" class=\"article-end__author-twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 14\" fill=\"none\"><br \/>\n\t<default:path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M15.2054 3.54558C15.2122 3.6951 15.215 3.84463 15.215 3.99527C15.215 8.58792 11.7194 13.8834 5.32683 13.8834C3.36455 13.8834 1.53779 13.3083 0 12.3221C0.271606 12.354 0.548252 12.3702 0.828257 12.3702C2.45677 12.3702 3.95536 11.8147 5.14483 10.8829C3.62384 10.8543 2.34085 9.84963 1.89844 8.4692C2.11068 8.51008 2.32797 8.53136 2.55253 8.53136C2.87006 8.53136 3.17695 8.48936 3.46815 8.40984C1.87772 8.09008 0.680414 6.68501 0.680414 5.00273C0.680414 4.98705 0.680414 4.97305 0.680414 4.95793C1.14858 5.21833 1.68452 5.37514 2.25461 5.39362C1.32219 4.76921 0.708415 3.7063 0.708415 2.5006C0.708415 1.8633 0.879778 1.26633 1.17882 0.753361C2.89302 2.85621 5.45395 4.23887 8.34249 4.38392C8.28313 4.12967 8.25233 3.86423 8.25233 3.59206C8.25233 1.6729 9.80861 0.117188 11.7278 0.117188C12.7274 0.117188 13.6301 0.539436 14.2641 1.21425C15.0559 1.05913 15.8002 0.769041 16.4716 0.370873C16.2118 1.18289 15.6602 1.86386 14.9428 2.29395C15.6462 2.20939 16.3159 2.02235 16.9392 1.74626C16.4739 2.44292 15.8842 3.05557 15.2054 3.54558Z\" fill=\"#666666\"\/><br \/>\n<\/default:svg><br \/>\n                        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>James Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute, was the founding vice-chair of Jesse Jackson\u2019s National Rainbow Coalition, and has been a member of the Democratic National Committee for three decades.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_incontent_2 --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- Tag ID: thenation_registration_billboard --><\/p>\n<section class=\"collections collections--col-0\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"collections__title\">More from <span class=\"not-italic\">The Nation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"collection__row\">\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/peggy-flanagan-minnesota-senate-democrats\/\" aria-label=\"Peggy Flanagan\u2019s Many Crush the Money in the Minnesota Senate Primary\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/peggy-flanagan-crowd-ap-img.jpg\" alt=\"Peggy Flanagan\u2019s Many Crush the Money in the Minnesota Senate Primary\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Corporate Dem Rep. 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rally on August 2, 2026, in Milwaukee.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Long before Francesca Hong\u2019s current bid for governor, the party was revitalized when it nominated a Milwaukee \u201csewer socialist\u201d for governor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/john-nichols\/\">John Nichols<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/independents-midterms-2026\/\" aria-label=\"Is 2026 the Year of the Independent?\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nichols-independents-ftr.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nichols-independents-ftr-768x498.jpg 768w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nichols-independents-ftr.jpg\" alt=\"Is 2026 the Year of the Independent?\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>An unprecedented number of candidates in this year\u2019s midterms are running outside of the two-party system. What\u2019s more, a lot of them could win.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/feature\/\" class=\"collections__label\">Feature<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/john-nichols\/\">John Nichols<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/frontline-democracy-defenders-arizona\/\" aria-label=\"\u201cNobody Is Resting\u201d: Meet the Grassroots Advocates Defending the Right to Vote\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Abramsky-YOUR_VOICE.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Abramsky-YOUR_VOICE-768x498.jpg 768w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Abramsky-YOUR_VOICE.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cNobody Is Resting\u201d: Meet the Grassroots Advocates Defending the Right to Vote\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>At a time when the US president is actively interfering in elections, these groups, activists, and officials are protecting their local systems from federal sabotage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/feature\/\" class=\"collections__label\">Feature<\/a><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"collections__divider\"><br \/>\n                            \/<br \/>\n                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                        <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/sasha-abramsky\/\">Sasha Abramsky<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_btf_medrec --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpContentAuthor\" value=\"Larry Cohen,James Zogby\"\/><br \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpTags\" value=\"campaign-finance,campaigns-and-elections,democrats,elections,politics,democratic-national-committee\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script type=\"08a9bc89f60517a18949f2cc-text\/javascript\">\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '233793277040432');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Politics \/ August 12, 2026 Many of those trying to bring the DNC chair down just want the party to continue to act as an ATM machine for their consultancies. Ad Policy Ken Martin speaks at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, February 21, 2026. (Jeff Chiu \/ AP) We write&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[4165,1255,1794,4167,4166,2812],"class_list":["post-2211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-dnc","tag-ken","tag-longtime","tag-martin","tag-membersand","tag-support"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}