DNC Elects Ken Martin as Chair

Seeking new leadership as President Donald Trump's second White House term begins, the Democratic National Committee elected Ken Martin as its chair.

MSNBC reported that Martin was elected on Saturday afternoon to replace outgoing chair Jaime Harrison.

"The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and it's time to roll up our sleeves and outcompete everywhere, in every election, and at every level of government — and I look forward to working with this next generation of leadership to build a party to unite America," Martin said in his acceptance speech.

"Today's elections mark a new chapter in DNC leadership, and Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are put on notice: we will hold them accountable for ripping off working families, and we will beat them at the ballot box," he said.

Martin, who served previously as Minnesota party chair and DNC vice chair, was reportedly a top contender for the position along with Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The bids of other candidates, including Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' former presidential campaign chief, and Marianne Williamson, a self-help author, were considered unlikely and MSNBC reported that Williamson wound up endorsing Martin in her nominating speech on Saturday.

During the first round of voting, Martin handily beat his opponents, receiving 246.5 votes, while Wikler, who was backed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., garnered 134.5 votes, according to reports. O'Malley came in third with 44.

While campaigning for the role, Martin had painted himself as the candidate who could rebuild the party's image in the minds of voters and do what it takes to resist Trump.

"My job is to get out there and define the Republicans," he said at the time, according to MSNBC. "We will go on offense against Donald Trump."

The intra-party election comes as Democrats grapple with the blistering pace of Trump's first few weeks back in office and follows the loss of both chambers of Congress and the presidency in November.

As DNC chair, Martin will be responsible for fundraising and allocating political donations, as well as for helping to develop a winning message and strategy for Democrats as they seek to recover from the disappointment of the 2024 election cycle.

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