David Hogg said too many Democratic leaders were “asleep at the wheel” as he announced late Wednesday that he would forgo seeking reelection as Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair.
“After seeing a serious lack of vision from Democratic leaders, too many of them asleep at the wheel, and Democrats dying in office that have helped to hand Republicans an expanded majority, it became clear that Leaders We Deserve had to start primarying incumbents and directly challenging the culture of seniority politics that brought our party to this place to help get our party into fighting shape again,” Hogg said, as a part of a larger series of posts on the social platform X.
In another post, Hogg noted “this is not solely an issue of age, it’s an issue of effectiveness that at times is compounded by age.”
Hogg also said the culture of staying in office until a lawmaker dies, and the lack of a threat of primary challenges to ineffective members of Congress, “has become an existential threat to the future of this party and nation that must be addressed.”
Hogg said he would not be vying for his spot as vice chair in the DNC after an overwhelming majority of DNC committee members voted to redo the vice chair elections of Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
The vote to redo the DNC’s vice chair elections stemmed from a challenge that was separate from the firestorm Hogg sparked after he announced he would be getting involved in primarying members — a move disapproved of by many, including DNC Chair Ken Martin, given Hogg’s position as a DNC officer.
But leaked audio of a May Zoom DNC officers’ call that was reported on over the weekend weekend, which included Martin expressing frustration with Hogg, prompted some members to reconsider how they would vote.
Democrats have struggled to reset after the November election, including on how to oppose President Trump during his second term. While Democrats have agreed with Hogg that some Democrats in office warrant being challenged, they believed Hogg shouldn’t be doing so from his perch at the DNC.
“I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs,” Hogg said in his multipost announcement. “It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair — and it’s okay to have disagreements. What isn’t okay is allowing this to remain our focus when there is so much more we need to be focused on.”
“Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters,” he added. “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.”