The chairman of the Democratic National Committee is confident that Democrats will regain power in Congress and made the case that, if successful, they should make the most of it by turning the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico into states to solidify their control.

“When we get into power next time, we damn well better make sure that D.C. is a state, that Puerto Rico is a state,” Ken Martin said Tuesday on the At Our Table with Jaime Harrison podcast.

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Democrats have long been advocating statehood for the district and Puerto Rico, a territory. However, they have been unsuccessful in such attempts.

Martin said he believes that could change if Democrats overwhelmingly win the 2026 midterm elections.

“When we get in power — and we will get in power, we’re going to win in ’26, we’re going to win in ’25 — and when we get in power, we don’t play by that antiquated playbook anymore,” he added. “We go in there and do exactly what we want and what we said we were going to do to fight for people.”

Historically, the party of the sitting president tends to lose ground during the midterm elections. This happened in 2022 when Republicans narrowly regained control of the House halfway through the Biden administration, although the Senate remained under Democratic control. The 2024 election changed that, giving Republicans control of both chambers in Congress and the White House.

Still, Republicans are vulnerable to losing control in the House. This factor is likely influencing President Donald Trump’s push for mid-decade redistricting in red states.

The head of the DNC also called for Democrats to abolish the Senate’s filibuster rule, which is used to delay or block a vote on a particular measure by prolonging debate for several hours. He described the rule as part of the “antiquated playbook” used by Republicans.

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“We get rid of all these antiquated rules that, in the past, made sense, but right now, with what we’re dealing with in this country and we have a fascist regime that’s trying to destroy our democracy, we cannot abide by those rules anymore,” Martin said of the Trump administration. “We can’t be the only party with one hand tied behind our back.”

Elected to lead the DNC in February following Trump’s election victory, Martin has accused the president of acting like a “dictator-in-chief” with his policies. Martin’s comments echo progressive protesters’ allegations that Trump is a “king,” often citing his tough stance on illegal immigration.