Who should be the head of the DNC?
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is an actual organization staffed by actual people -- not just the subject of conspiracy theories.
The DNC is being [badly out fund-raised](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/18/dnc-fundraising-donor-problems-midterms-00512473), by both Republican groups and the other two big Democratic groups (the DSCC & the DCCC). This leads to the fear that the DNC will fumble the historic opportunity presented by the 2026 election.
In addition to the fundraising woes, the 2024 autopsy seems to have been badly mishandled -- not just because it was silenced in a way that became a scandal, but also because it was incompetently crafted. If the current DNC chair is doing anything right, I haven't heard about it.
...so...who should be heading the DNC?
* [Ken Martin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Martin)? The current chair. * [Ben Wikler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Wikler)? Who came in second to Ken Martin, and oversaw some pretty good Dem wins in Wisconsin. * [Tom Perez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Perez)? The DNC chair that took over in 2017 and tried to mend fences with Bernie supporters. (He did not get much credit for his efforts.) * [Donna Brazile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Brazile)? Who has served as acting chair for short stints twice before. * [Pete Buttigieg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Buttigieg)? Who dropped his bid to lead the DNC in 2017, after Obama threw his support behind Tom Perez. * [Howard Dean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean)? A 77-year-old former Governor of Vermont who headed the DNC during the incredibly successful 2006 & 2008 elections. * Someone else? * *Anyone* else? * Someone who is willing to do the job for six months, then step down?
Interesting Wrinkle: Sometimes, the DNC has *two chairs*; a "general" chair who handles fundraising and public relations, along with an 'operational chair' who focuses more on organizing and outreach. Tell us if you think the job should be split up again.
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EDIT: While in discussion in the comments below, I found this opinion piece making a case for Ken Martin staying in the job...
>[[The numbers don’t lie: The DNC is winning where it matters most -- The Hill]](https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5864467-democratic-fundraising-media-misconception/)