DNC leader reaffirms his ultimatum for Hogg
Chair Ken Martin is highlighting his impartial stance during the primaries, while the 25-year-old vice chair seeks to enact change from inside the party.
TroibNews 
Democratic National Convention Chair Ken Martin reaffirmed his ultimatum to Vice Chair David Hogg on Saturday: either take a neutrality pledge or resign from his position.
“Party officers have one job: to be fair stewards of a process that invites every Democrat to the table — regardless of personal views or allegiances,” Martin stated.
After a prolonged period of internal conflict regarding the future direction of the beleaguered party, Martin articulated his vision in a post on X, directly addressing Hogg, who sparked controversy last month by telling PMG that he would financially support Democratic primaries for "ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel" Democrats.
Following Hogg's remarks, Martin emphasized that party officers must maintain neutrality in Democratic primaries and suggested that Hogg should consider stepping down if he cannot adhere to this principle.
This statement came just hours after PMG reported that Hogg had recently proposed a compromise to his party. He suggested an "internal firewall" that would permit him to remain as vice chair while being restricted from accessing internal committee information about races as long as he supports challengers.
“Some critics have wrongly framed this as an effort to shut people out of the party or to discourage contested primaries,” Martin wrote. “Let me be unequivocally clear: That's not only false, it's the opposite of what I stand for.”
Martin argued that the pledged neutrality allows for a more equitable process without interference from party leadership, a point consistently made by various party officials throughout the years.
In his detailed thread, Martin acknowledged Hogg by name, expressing respect for the 25-year-old activist-turned DNC vice chair.
“When I ran for DNC Chair, I ran on a platform of democratizing the party,” he stated. “Those reforms weren’t about any one person, and they certainly aren’t about me versus David Hogg. … Long before David was ever involved in politics, I was pushing reforms within our Democratic Party.”
He further noted that those who lead the organization responsible for “calling balls and strikes” must not also “swing the bat.”
“I am more committed than ever to introduce the slate of structural reforms that enshrine these values into the official rules of the Democratic Party,” Martin asserted. “These reforms will require all party officers — including myself — to remain neutral in primaries.”
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
“Party officers have one job: to be fair stewards of a process that invites every Democrat to the table — regardless of personal views or allegiances,” Martin stated.
After a prolonged period of internal conflict regarding the future direction of the beleaguered party, Martin articulated his vision in a post on X, directly addressing Hogg, who sparked controversy last month by telling PMG that he would financially support Democratic primaries for "ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel" Democrats.
Following Hogg's remarks, Martin emphasized that party officers must maintain neutrality in Democratic primaries and suggested that Hogg should consider stepping down if he cannot adhere to this principle.
This statement came just hours after PMG reported that Hogg had recently proposed a compromise to his party. He suggested an "internal firewall" that would permit him to remain as vice chair while being restricted from accessing internal committee information about races as long as he supports challengers.
“Some critics have wrongly framed this as an effort to shut people out of the party or to discourage contested primaries,” Martin wrote. “Let me be unequivocally clear: That's not only false, it's the opposite of what I stand for.”
Martin argued that the pledged neutrality allows for a more equitable process without interference from party leadership, a point consistently made by various party officials throughout the years.
In his detailed thread, Martin acknowledged Hogg by name, expressing respect for the 25-year-old activist-turned DNC vice chair.
“When I ran for DNC Chair, I ran on a platform of democratizing the party,” he stated. “Those reforms weren’t about any one person, and they certainly aren’t about me versus David Hogg. … Long before David was ever involved in politics, I was pushing reforms within our Democratic Party.”
He further noted that those who lead the organization responsible for “calling balls and strikes” must not also “swing the bat.”
“I am more committed than ever to introduce the slate of structural reforms that enshrine these values into the official rules of the Democratic Party,” Martin asserted. “These reforms will require all party officers — including myself — to remain neutral in primaries.”
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
