DNC leaders challenge David Hogg’s efforts to unseat incumbents with public warning

Democratic Party leaders are trying to figure out their next steps as Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg’s efforts to primary Democratic incumbents alarms party officials.

Internal debate among DNC leaders over the party’s neutrality policy broke out into the public Thursday when party Chair Ken Martin commented about Hogg’s plans to fund Democratic primary challenges during a press phone call about another topic. 

Martin, who was announcing a new state partnership initiative, said on the call with reporters, “No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election — whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger.”

“I have great respect for David Hogg. I think he’s an amazing young leader who’s done so much already to help move our movement forward,” Martin continued. “If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be neutral arbiters.”

Hogg co-founded Leaders We Deserve in 2020, a grassroots organization that just launched a $20 million initiative to primary “out of touch” House Democrats who are “unable or unwilling to meet the moment.”

Also on Thursday, Martin published an opinion piece on TIME.com announcing his intent to introduce reforms to Democratic Party rules that would require all party officers to remain neutral in Democratic primaries. “Our role is to serve as stewards of a fair, open, and trusted process—not to tilt the scales,” wrote Martin. 

In response, Hogg wrote on X, “They’re trying to change the rules because I’m not currently breaking them.” Hogg argued that the current moment requires the strongest opposition party possible, a real alternative to the Republican Party. “That will not change if we keep the status quo,” said Hogg. “We have no other option but to do the hard work of holding ourselves and our own party accountable.”

The president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, Jane Kleeb, told CBS News she doesn’t think an official party neutrality policy should be controversial. 

“I thought this would be celebrated, and it is mostly celebrated in our party that we are finally writing into our bylaws that the DNC officers will remain neutral,” said Kleeb. “We want our best candidates to come out of the primary, and they shouldn’t have the backing of an officer in order to get out of a primary.”

Kleeb thinks Hogg should remain DNC vice chair and should continue to run Leaders We Deserve — but only if he removes himself from the organization’s effort to primary Democrats. 

She said she’s spoken with Hogg and added it’s ultimately up to him to decide whether to cease his efforts to primary incumbents. 

“That won’t be the party kicking him out,” said Kleeb. “That will be David choosing not to abide by a rule of the DNC when it passes in August.”