I’ve been having a series of candid conversations about the state of the Democratic Party and where we go from here. These aren’t conversations I take lightly — but they’re conversations that are long overdue.
I’ve been direct about the challenges we face. I’ve expressed concern that our party has become too comfortable offering voters incremental change when what they’re demanding is transformation.
Too often, we package the same old ideas in new wrapping and expect voters to be excited about it. They’re not. They’re tired of being told to fall in line. They want leaders who will actually fight for them and produce results.
On CNN, I suggested that we need new leadership at the DNC because our current approach simply isn’t working. We keep losing races we should be winning. We keep alienating voters who should be part of our coalition. And we keep doubling down on the same strategies while expecting different results.
I’ve been critical of a party that has become too focused on positioning itself in the center rather than offering a bold vision for the future. I believe voters are hungry for a clear plan — not just a vote against the other side.
They want to know what we stand for, not just what we’re against. And when we refuse to offer that vision, we cede the narrative to those who will.
These comments have not been universally welcomed. But my focus remains on the work ahead.
I’m not interested in engaging in personal feuds or political theater. I’m interested in building something that lasts.
That work is Leaders We Deserve.
We are recruiting, training, and funding a new generation of progressive leaders across the country. Young people who are running to fix the issues that matter most to Americans — affordable housing, healthcare, reproductive rights, climate action, and gun violence prevention.
Whether the establishment is ready for them or not, these are the leaders who will shape the future of this party.
We’re not waiting for permission from party bosses. We’re not asking for a seat at the table. We’re building our own table. And we’re doing it by investing in candidates who reflect the communities they seek to represent — candidates who understand what working families are going through because they’re living it themselves.
We’ve already seen significant success. This cycle alone, we’ve helped elect 34 candidates, including numerous state legislators, members of Congress, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. We’re building a bench of young leaders who will be the future of this party — and we’re proving that this model works.
But we can’t sustain this momentum without resources. Identifying promising candidates, training them, funding voter outreach, and supporting them through Election Day requires infrastructure. And that infrastructure doesn’t build itself. It takes investment from people who believe in the future we’re building.
Thank you,
David Hogg
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