Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg says he will not run for the organization’s snap vice chair election. Hogg’s announcement comes just hours after the DNC voted to redo its elections for the vice chair positions, following a procedural error in February’s election.
DNC sets new voting dates
This development means that the current DNC vice chairs, David Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, would need to seek reelection next week in order to retain their positions, something Hogg said Wednesday evening, June 11, he would no longer pursue.
The DNC will hold two virtual votes: one for male vice chair, which will run from June 12–14, and one open to any gender, which will run from June 15–17, according to The Hill.
Hogg to focus on youth-led political work
Hogg said his new focus will be on his organization, Leaders We Deserve.
“Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters,” he said in a post on X. “I need to do this work with Leaders We Deserve, and it is going to remain my number one mission to build the strongest party possible.”
February election results invalidated
Last month, the DNC’s Credentials Committee voted to invalidate the results of February’s election in which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected to two of the three DNC vice chair positions. Oklahoma Democratic Committee member Kalyn Free was a candidate for the DNC vice chair position but lost in the election to Hogg and Kenyatta.
Free claimed she lost because the ballot was formatted incorrectly, giving an advantage to Hogg and Kenyatta, KOTV News reported. Free said that, because of that, Hogg did not deserve his seat, and she petitioned for a new vote.
“He is never going to admit that he is sitting in a seat that he didn’t–just does not deserve to be in,” Free told KOTV.
Hogg’s advocacy and conflict with DNC leadership
Hogg, a Florida activist who survived the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2017, has been critical of his own party and open about backing primaries against incumbent Democrats.
His organization, Leaders We Deserve, started a $20 million campaign to unseat current Democratic lawmakers and promote a new generation of candidates to serve. This led to a recent public disagreement with DNC Chair Ken Martin.
Before the vote, Politico released a clip of a Democratic Party call, during which Martin expressed frustration with Hogg, saying the conflict hurt his ability to demonstrate leadership.
“No one knows who the hell I am, right?” Martin said in the clip obtained by Politico. “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.”
Kenyatta responds
Kenyatta also reacted to the news, releasing a statement saying:
“I respect the vote of the DNC, and now we can almost bring this chapter to a close. I look forward to making my case to DNC members and our party as a whole on how we make life better and refocusing on Trump’s attacks on our Constitution and working families.”
