The Democratic National Committee announced on Monday that it will hold its chair’s election on Feb. 1, an early indicator of the party’s direction following Kamala Harris’ stinging loss this month.
The contest will be held at the committee’s winter meeting at the National Harbor in Maryland that begins on Jan. 30 and culminates with the election on Feb. 1. Throughout January, the DNC will host four candidate forums, some of which will be in-person and others of which will be virtual.
The election — which has drawn two announced contenders so far, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Chair Ken Martin and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley — will mark the first contest Democrats will weigh in on after their bruising losses in 2024. Other candidates are still seriously considering bids, including Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will meet on Dec. 12, where members are expected to vote on the chair election process. In 2021, the committee set requirements for candidates to gain access to the ballot by submitting at least 40 signatures from DNC members. The same threshold will be used for candidates to appear at the four forums in January.
“As my time as Chair comes to a close and we prepare to undertake the critical work of holding the Trump Administration and Republican Party accountable for their extremism and false promises, we are beginning to lay out the process for upcoming DNC officer elections in the New Year,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, who will not be seeking reelection, wrote in the letter to DNC members. “The DNC is committed to running a transparent, equitable, and impartial election for the next generation of leadership to guide the party forward.”
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