As the Democratic National Committee met Thursday afternoon to hash out guidelines to select its next chair, a past leader of the group called for an analysis of the party’s presidential loss last month.
Donna Brazile, former interim chairwoman of the DNC, asked if the organization would “look outside the box or look outside the room” for what went wrong in November when President-elect Donald Trump trounced Vice President Kamala Harris and helped Republicans take control of Congress in the process.
“I guess my question to you, Mr. Chairman, is, will a post-mortem take place at any point over the next two months as we prepare to elect new offices?” Brazile said, directing her question at outgoing DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison.
She suggested a sweeping analysis of “everything from propaganda, to, you know, targeting to digital, everything.”
Harrison responded that the DNC is “evaluating” its programs, including its coordination with state parties, “so as to lay the foundation for a much more thorough analysis.”
Brazile’s comment came as the organization’s Rules and Bylaws Committee gathered to determine the requirements that all candidates hoping to succeed Harrison as chair must meet when its internal election is held on Feb. 1.
After a lengthy discussion, the committee adopted guidelines that candidates must have a minimum of 40 DNC members who support their bid to qualify for a series of four forums held in advance of the ballot, two of which are in person and two that are virtual.
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After the first round of voting, the candidate with the fewest votes will be dropped from the second ballot. Candidates must submit their nominating petition signatures seven days before the election on Jan. 25.
A handful of candidates have launched campaigns, including DNC Vice Chairman Ken Martin, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, New York state Sen. James Skoufis, former Department of Homeland Security staffer Nate Snyder, and former Maryland Senate candidate Robert Houton.
Martin, who also heads the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, claims to have 100 DNC members backing his campaign out of the total 448 who are eligible to vote in the race.
Some of the candidates for DNC chair are also calling for an analysis in the wake of the election outcome.
“It’s important for us to learn every lesson we can about what just took place, and that’s ecosystem-wide,” Wikler told NBC News.
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“I think you’re looking at everything. It’s not just contracts and consultants, it’s not just ad spends and media buys, it’s A through Z,” Martin also told NBC News.
Harrison said the DNC was waiting to receive all voter file data, which will likely come after the next chair has been selected.
“When we hand over the keys, then you know, the hope is that the next chair and the new officers will continue the process of really bringing in the experts,” he said.
The outgoing chairman took time in his introductory remarks to thank President Joe Biden and Harris for their leadership before acknowledging the work ahead for Democrats to prepare for the 2026 and 2028 elections.
“We have much further to go and an obligation to consistently communicate our values to all Americans,” Harrison said. “But when we step back to look at all that this administration has accomplished in four years, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”
Brazile called for the DNC to hold regional meetings to allow chair candidates to hear from members about their concerns, but the suggestion was not adopted by the committee.
“I support regional meetings, regional conversations. I believe what we did in the aftermath of 2016 allowed us to hear from voters from every walk of life,” she said. “It gave us an opportunity to go back to the people and to really have a dynamic process.”
Harrison told the former interim chairwoman that many of the candidates would likely be invited to forums, but in hopes of saving $250,000, the DNC opted to hold its winter meeting in late January instead of later in February.
Another member of the committee, Elaine Kamarck, suggested raising the petition requirement to 15% of the total 448 DNC members, saying 40 signatures was too low.
“A DNC member can sign more than one petition, so this makes it extremely easy for people to get into the race,” Kamarck said.
Randi Weingarten, another member of the committee, suggested that since candidates were under the impression that they needed 40 signatures to qualify, the rules shouldn’t change.
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“I think it’s a great idea, and I think we shouldn’t do it. And I think we shouldn’t do it because this process has started already,” Weingarten said.
Ultimately, members decided to adopt a resolution that, moving forward with future vacancies, there would be a 15% threshold for candidate signatures.
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“That serves as a notice for 2028,” said Jim Roosevelt Jr., co-chairman of the committee. The committee is also co-chaired by political operative Minyon Moore.
The rules that were adopted by the committee will be presented to the DNC membership at their winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, from Jan. 30 through Feb. 1.