Democrats Set To Elect New Leader Following Trump’s Inauguration

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will elect its new chair and other key officers on Feb. 1 at the party’s winter meeting in National Harbor, Md.

Members of the DNC are preparing to appoint a new leadership team. The roles to be filled include chair, vice chairs, treasurer, secretary and national finance chair, according to a DNC press release. Current DNC Chair Jamie Harrison will not seek a second term and announced that the DNC will host four forums for the chair candidates.

These forums, both in-person and virtual, will allow the 448 voting DNC members to engage with the candidates, focusing on the members’ questions and concerns, the press release added. Harrison said he and the DNC staff will remain neutral and avoid endorsements or campaign efforts for any candidates.

“As my time as Chair comes to a close and we prepare to undertake the critical work of holding the Trump Administration and Republican Party accountable for their extremism and false promises, we are beginning to lay out the process for upcoming DNC officer elections in the New Year. The DNC is committed to running a transparent, equitable, and impartial election for the next generation of leadership to guide the party forward,” Harrison said.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will convene on Dec. 12 to devise a procedure for electing party officers. They will propose “Rules of Procedure” for nominating and electing candidates, which the full membership will vote on during the winter meeting starting Jan. 30. The election process includes a requirement for candidates to collect signatures from 40 DNC members to appear on the ballot, maintaining the threshold set in 2021.

The DNC’s voting membership includes 200 state-elected members from 57 states and territories, 16 affiliate groups, and 73 at-large members elected by the DNC itself, ABC News reported. Two candidates are actively campaigning for the chair position. Former Maryland Governor and current Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley was the first to announce his candidacy.

“We must connect our Party with the most important place in America — the kitchen table of every family’s home. Jobs, Opportunity, and Economic Security for all. Getting things done. Hope. A 50 state strategy. Now,” O’Malley wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

Ken Martin, vice chair of the DNC and chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, also entered the race and already secured endorsements from 83 DNC members, ABC News said.