Summary
Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor party, won the race to lead the Democratic National Committee, defeating Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler.
Martin takes over as Democrats grapple with major losses in the 2024 elections and seek to reconnect with working-class voters.
Supporters see his leadership as key to rebuilding the party, while critics worry it signals a continuation of the status quo.
His first major test will be the 2026 midterms as Democrats attempt to reclaim the House and rebuild their electoral strategy.
Harris lost in 2024 because Latino and Gen Z males who voted for Biden in 2020 swung to Trump in 2024.
Those voters are centrist/independents, and identify as neither Democrat nor Republican. They voted Democrat in 2020 and Democrats need to win them back in 2028.
Anyone who still thinks “capture the center” is how politics works when Donald Trump enthusiastically diving to the right beat Kamala Harris campaigning with actual Republicans isn’t willing to update their priors with new information.
It didn’t work for Kamala Harris. But it’s how Biden beat Trump. And it worked for over 20 sitting Democratic governors, one of whom will very likely be the next Democratic nominee.
There weren’t even 20 governors up for reelection and most of them weren’t competitive. You’re literally just making up data to support a conclusion that blatantly contradicts actual real life.
One of those governors will likely be the next Democratic nominee. And they all have a history of running as centrists. Not just in 2024, but in all of their previous campaigns.
Newsom, Pritzker, Beshear, Shapiro, etc aren’t going to spontaneously embrace socialism in 2028. And I’m sorry to disappoint you, but an 82 year old Bernie Sanders won’t be running in 2028.
You’re just proving the point, over and over again.
My only point is that the 2028 nominee is likely a current Democratic governor.
And if you don’t believe that, then you’re the one who isn’t paying attention to the political landscape.
Running to the right didn’t get their votes, did it?
Not this time. But Obama and Clinton successfully ran as a centrists, and I expect Democrats will try again in the future.
Why would they ever change?
You certainly don’t want them to.
They should only change if a different approach were proven to work better.
Practically speaking, that means leftists need to consistently win gubernatorial elections before a leftist can become a presidential nominee.
Sounds like an excuse to never try another approach.
I wonder what the new goalpost will be when the party’s best efforts are longer sufficient to keep progressives out of gubernatorial races.
I don’t think requiring evidence is an “excuse”. And so far there is little evidence that leftists can win statewide elections, which is a prerequisite for winning the presidency.
Conversely, if leftists start consistently winning elections then there is little that the party can do to stop them. That’s basically how MAGA took over the GOP.
The electorate wanted change. You want the way we’ve always done things.
The electorate wanted the change that Trump promised, and that’s what we’re getting.
In 2028, the electorate will probably reconsider.