Ken Martin vows to stay DNC chair after he questioned if he could do the job amid party infighting

WASHINGTON - Newly elected DNC Chair and former longtime Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin says he has no plans to leave his post following a report in which he questioned if he could keep doing his job amid party infighting.

“I’m not going anywhere. I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats. As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda,” Martin said in a statement following the report. “That’s the work that I will continue to do every day.”

Martin’s defense of his new role follows a story from Politico, which published a recording of him questioning his role. In recent months, news about the DNC has been dominated by headlines of the party’s Vice Chair David Hogg vowing to spend millions to oust incumbents he views as “ineffective” and the fallout from his position on elections.

Party leaders are expected to decide this week whether they should hold new elections for the vice chair role.

Martin said the party infighting sparked by Hogg has made it hard for him to do his job as a new chair, according to the report.

“I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job … the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” Martin emotionally said in an audio recording obtained by Politico.

“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin continued to say in the recording. “And again, I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.”

“So it’s really frustrating,” he said, appearing to choke up.

Martin, who had led the DFL since 2011, was elected to helm the DNC in early February and won overwhelmingly on first ballot after he was locked in a three-month long battle with several other Democrats.

Martin took over the party at a tumultuous time for Democrats just months after they experienced a resounding loss which handed Washington to President Donald Trump and Congress to the Republicans.

During his race, Martin cast himself as a friend of labor and the son of a single mother who grew up in poverty who could work to bring the working class back into the party in both red and blue states.

Richard Carlbom, who was previously Gov. Tim Walz’s deputy chief of staff, was elected to replace Martin at the end of March.

Carlbrom reiterated his support for Martin after the Politico story.

“Ken Martin built the Minnesota DFL into the nation’s strongest state party and never lost a statewide election,” Carlbom said. “He has my full confidence and support — there is no one better equipped to help our party rebuild and take the fight to Donald Trump’s Republican Party in 2026 and beyond.”

During his short tenure as DNC chair, Martin has led the party’s “People’s Town Hall” initiative and helped to oversee 130 town halls in 48 states in coordination with the DNC and state parties, according to the DNC. He’s also invested millions into state parties and helped the party launch a new off-year organizing program.

A number of DNC party officials also came to Martin’s defense following the Politico story.

“Ken showed vulnerability in a private conversation. He stood up for me and for the Democratic Party. He shows up with authenticity,” DNC Associate Chair Shasti Conrad said in a statement. Always. That’s what you’ll hear on the tape."

“Like Chair Martin said, infighting is a waste of time when Donald Trump and the Republican congress is taking health care and food away from millions of Americans. Ken wouldn’t be here today if not for SNAP and Medicaid,” DNC Vice Chair Artie Blanco said in a statement. “That’s the type of passionate leadership we should want for our party. The fact that someone would secretly record and share audio of him candidly discussing that is more a reflection of their character than the Chair’s.”