DNC chair election kicks off as Martin O’Malley enters the race

By Arit John and Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and commissioner of the Social Security Administration, on Monday became the first person to announce a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party plots a post-election path forward.

“We must organize in every state and speak to the economic concerns of every person in America,” O’Malley said in a statement provided to CNN. “Jobs, opportunity, economic security for all. These are the goals of our Party and these are the things that make our country stronger.”

The former 2016 presidential candidate’s announcement kicks off the sprint to the committee’s election of its next leader. The decision – which will be made by the roughly 450 members of the Democratic National Committee early next year – comes as Democrats seek to regroup and rebrand after a devastating election cycle for their party, with Republicans reclaiming the presidency and the US Senate and holding on to the US House.

With no Democrat leading from the White House, the next chair will become the face, and voice, of the party. The future chair will also oversee the debate around the party’s 2028 presidential primary calendar.

Democrats’ rules panel will hold a meeting next month to discuss the process for electing the next chair, who will replace outgoing leader Jaime Harrison. Democrats have not selected a date, but the new chair must be elected by March 1.

O’Malley is the first declared candidate in what is expected to be a crowded field. Democrats haven’t had an open election for chair since 2017, when former Labor Secretary Tom Perez beat then-Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison in what was viewed as a proxy war between the establishment and progressive wings of the party.

This time around, several DNC members said they want to see someone from outside of Washington, DC, who will invest in building out the party’s infrastructure and organizing power.

“We definitely need to be looking outside of the beltway,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley. “And it has to be somebody that really understands the strength of grassroots – and we need to get back to that. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on television every election doesn’t seem to be getting us much.”

Two state party chairs have been floated to lead the national party: Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and Ken Martin, the chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. Both are considering running but have not announced.

“It’s something he’s seriously considering, but no final decision has been made,” a source familiar with Wikler’s thinking told CNN.

Martin has received calls from a number of DNC delegates encouraging him to run, a source close to him said. “He’s seriously considering it and will make a decision very soon,” the source said.

In a Fox News op-ed, Martin, who also leads the Association of State Democratic Committees, laid out a path forward for the party and argued Democrats’ issue is that people don’t associate Democratic policies – such as raising the minimum wage – with their candidates.

“In 2017, we found ourselves in an era of resistance,” he wrote. “In 2025, we need to counter the excesses and extremes of the new Trump administration while also defining a clear agenda which centers on the struggles of everyday Americans hoping to get ahead, not just get by.”

Other potential candidates who have been making calls include former New Orleans Mayor and Biden administration official Mitch Landrieu, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and outgoing California Sen. Laphonza Butler, according to a Democratic source with knowledge of the calls.

O’Malley has had roughly 50 conversations with Democratic officials across the country in recent days as he has mulled a run, according to people familiar with the discussions. He has endorsements from three DNC members and has had encouraging conversations with Democrats including Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

“The feedback we’ve received is strong and encouraging,” O’Malley said.

As Democrats seek a new strategy, O’Malley has pitched the broad outlines of a plan to reimagine what the DNC looks like, such as empowering state parties. He would lean on his experience running the Democratic Governors Association, where he helped capture state-wide races in purple and red states like Kentucky, West Virginia and Montana. Of the three, Kentucky is the only state that still has a Democratic governor.

“There is a better day ahead,” O’Malley said. “But we must rebuild our Party so we can all get there together.”

The Maryland Democrat announced Monday his resignation from the Social Security Administration, which will take effect at the end of the month.

Among the many challenges facing the next DNC chair will be reshaping the 2028 Democratic presidential primary calendar. Last year, Democrats revamped their presidential primary calendar to put South Carolina first, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire, in conflict with the last state’s first-in-the-nation primary law.

The reshuffling, at the behest of President Joe Biden, was designed to elevate more diverse states but also played to Biden’s strengths. During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden lost handily in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary but made a comeback after winning the South Carolina primary.

This time, there will be no incumbent president to set the calendar, leaving states to jockey for themselves.

“As far as specific candidates for chair, don’t know who that will be, but the one thing I do know is that we are the litmus test for America,” said Nevada Democratic party chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno. “All roads to the White House lead through this state, and we know how to win here.”

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