Last week, I was honored to speak at the ASDC, which represents all 57 U.S. state and territorial Democratic parties — across the country and around the world.
I shared some thoughts with state party leaders about where we’ve been and where we’re going — and I want to share those thoughts with you, too. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read them (and no, this isn’t a fundraising pitch):
Six months ago, many of us felt like we had just been punched in the face. We were angry. We were tired.
At the time, I said the thing that matters right now is how we win again. And I said — as Democrats — we know what we have to do.
We have to sharply define who we are. We have to show people what we stand for and how we’re going to fight for them. We have to speak to the issues that matter to all, not just the elite few. And we have to get back to winning.
We have to win in red states. In purple states. In blue states. Everywhere.
And I’ll tell you something now that I’ll tell you again when we take back Congress next year: We don’t build political power to sit on it. We’re not in the business of amassing power just for power’s sake. And we certainly don’t wield it as a weapon.
We build political power to use it. To help people. To improve lives. To give as many families as we can a fighting chance at the American dream.
It’s now been four months since I was elected DNC chair. We were in National Harbor, right on the Potomac River, literally down the road from an active plane crash site after a tragic mid-air collision.
Donald Trump had been in office for less than two weeks. He went out there, on live TV, disgracing the office of the presidency and disgracing the country. He blamed DEI. He blamed Barack Obama. He blamed Joe Biden.
I remember just how pissed I was. For the families. For the country. My son is training to be a pilot. Imagine seeing the President of the United States say something like that about your own flesh and blood.
That weekend, we were about to vote for the new leaders of our national party, and I said, as Democrats, we need to start asking ourselves the same thing each day: which side are we on?
Are we on the side of the robber baron, the ultra-wealthy billionaire, the oil and gas polluter, and the union-buster?
Or do we stand with the American working family, the small business owner, the farmer, the immigrant, and the student?
Are we on the side of this grotesque brand of politics and demonizes, dehumanizes, and destroys?
Or are we on the side of fiercely and compassionately defending the rights, freedoms, and dreams of the American people?
Right now, the sides couldn’t be clearer. Every day, these so-called leaders in Washington — these MAGA tyrants — make another tear in the moral fabric of who we are.
They smirk at their own corruption and threaten anybody who doesn’t kiss the ring. Meanwhile, small businesses collapse from tariffs and mayors plead for federal help after tornadoes level their towns.
Our job is to chase these tyrants down with all our energy, every muscle fiber, and every breath. We have to stand on our values. Because we’re not just fighting for Democrats. We’re fighting for every person, family, and community in this country.
And what I’m telling you — what I’m promising you — is that Democrats will win again. We have to.
In my early days as Chair, I told my team three things:
- We’re getting the DNC out of D.C. and into the states. Sure enough, we’ve done just that. Right away, we got on the road to meet with local party leaders, voters, and grassroots organizers. At this point, I think I’ve been to 17 or 18 states. And we used everything we learned to inform a historic new investment in all our state parties — $1 million each month.
Back when these investments first started, we were allocating $5,000 to state parties. Now, it’s $17,500 — with even more for red states. I’ve always said there’s no such thing as a permanent red state. Now we’re backing that up with real investments. - We’re going to reimagine the DNC as a permanent campaign. No longer will we look at things narrowly — or through the singular lens of presidential cycles. We’re going to set the tone and reclaim ground from Republicans — whether it’s a school board race, an assembly seat, a state Supreme Court seat, and so on.
- I said we’re taking the gloves off. I want a Democratic Party that’s willing to stand its ground, throw a punch, and fight for everybody who feels voiceless in this political environment. I know you do, too.
It’s only been a few months, but we are building momentum. We took a +23 Trump district in Pennsylvania blue for the first time since the 1800s. We kicked Elon Musk to the curb in Wisconsin when he tried to buy a Supreme Court seat. We historically overperformed in Florida’s deep red districts in special elections. And just the other week, we knocked a three-team Republican mayor out of office in Omaha.
Some people might not think every race matters. I’m not one of those people. Every inch of ground adds up. Every vote adds up. Every office we flip adds up.
Last year, I saw some research showing that the majority of Americans now believe the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor, and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and the elites.
I believe this is a damning indictment. Especially because it’s not true. But perceptions matter. And we have to change perceptions.
I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis. But my family didn’t have it easy. I was the first son of a teen mom who had me at 15. She was raising four kids by age 20. She was a single mom and we struggled mightily. We were in and out of shelters. We saw poverty. We experienced a lot of sleepless nights. We barely made it. We relied on programs like Medicaid and SNAP to get through tough times. Just like the tough times that Donald Trump has created.
Because of these programs, because of the people around us, and because of leaders who fought for a strong safety net, our family made it. I ended up being the first kid in my family to go to college and get a degree.
The easiest thing in the world is to give up on someone. But nobody gave up on us.
I became a Democrat because I saw a community that gave a damn about a family of four kids. And I got into politics because I thought my government should give a damn too.
The Democratic Party was my Party. I know it still is. I know what our Party is capable of, given the opportunity. Let’s grab that opportunity while we can.
If we handle things right in the years ahead — and I have faith we will — I believe we will look back at this moment as when our Party turned the page and started building a long-term majority.
And when we manage to accomplish that — and again, I have faith we will — let me just say: it will only happen because of you.
Thank you for everything.
Ken
Ken Martin
Chair
Democratic National Committee
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