Ken Martin: the Minnesota politico turned DNC chair
Martin, the head of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, was elected with over half the vote


The Democrats have a new face in charge. Ken Martin was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee on Feb. 1. After years as a Minnesota mainstay and leader of the state's major Democratic wing, Martin will head a party in flux after a 2024 defeat as it works to drum up a unified strategy to combat President Donald Trump's agenda.
Amid the crowded race for DNC chair, Martin was always considered a frontrunner. This was due to his helping keep Minnesota a Democratic stronghold over the last eight years, even as Republicans made major gains throughout the Midwest in the 2016 and 2024 elections.
Martin's beginnings
Martin, 51, is a Minneapolis native who began working in politics in high school. He is the "son of a single mother and the first child in his family, he has said, to earn a college degree," said The New York Times. After college, Martin interned for former Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) in the 1990s before joining the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Minnesota's Democratic Party coalition, and working his way up the ranks.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Martin was elected chair of the DFL in 2011 and also "leads the Association of State Democratic Committees, a body that lobbies for state parties within the national committee," said the Times. As chair, he has created a "party dedicated to organizing communities, empowering the grassroots, electing progressive candidates and improving the lives of Minnesotans," according to his DFL biography.
DNC leadership
Martin was elected DNC chair by earning a majority of 246 of the 428 votes cast — more than "100 votes above the second place finisher, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler," said NBC News. But while the party is working to coalesce around a new message, the "race hinged more on the candidates' organizing and fundraising resumes than on their postures regarding the ideological soul of the party."
In vying for the job, Martin has been "vocal in pointing out that Democrats have a branding problem with voters, arguing many people don't think Democrats represent the party taking on the priorities of Americans," said The Hill. While Democrats aim to reorganize themselves ahead of the midterms, one thing Martin will be "charged with overseeing is the 2028 Democratic presidential early primary calendar as leaders across the states have started to weigh in on who should be in the early lineup."
Martin has also been working to paint himself favorably in the eyes of working-class voters, many of whom shunned Democrats in the last election. He "cast himself as a friend of labor and the son of a single mother who grew up in poverty and can bring the working class back into the party in both red and blue states," said The Minnesota Star Tribune.
He has also "promised a 'big tent' approach and drew endorsements from both left-leaning and more moderate officials," said the Times. Martin noted during his campaign that Democrats had not lost a statewide race in Minnesota under his leadership. Democrats "have one fight. The fight's not in here. The fight's out there," Martin said in his victory speech. The "fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country." Democrats "must rebuild" their coalition.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
The Pentagon's missing missiles
Feature The U.S. military is low on weapons. Can it restock before a major conflict breaks out?
-
Rescissions: Trump's push to control federal spending
Feature The GOP passed a bill to reduce funding for PBS, NPR and other public media stations
-
The knives come out for Pam Bondi
IN THE SPOTLIGHT She wasn't Trump's first pick to lead the Justice Department. After months of scandals and setbacks, is the attorney general's MAGA shelf life winding down?
-
The knives come out for Pam Bondi
IN THE SPOTLIGHT She wasn't Trump's first pick to lead the Justice Department. After months of scandals and setbacks, is the attorney general's MAGA shelf life winding down?
-
Trump officials who hold more than one job
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Wearing multiple hats has become the norm inside a White House known for a revolving door of functionaries and officials
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
'For frequent travelers, the costs add up'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
A Democratic election in Arizona is a microcosm of the party's infighting
The Explainer The top three candidates are fighting it out for a special election seat
-
The Pam Bondi and Dan Bongino schism threatens Trump's DOJ
In the Spotlight Two MAGA partisans find themselves on either end of a growing scandal over Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to White House officials
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election