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In the ever-evolving landscape of American politics, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has once again demonstrated its penchant for internal discord, this time targeting one of its youngest and most outspoken vice chairs, David Hogg.
David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting and a fervent gun control advocate, ascended to the position of DNC vice chair in February 2025. His election symbolized a shift towards youthful activism and a challenge to the party’s status quo. However, his tenure has been anything but smooth.
Hogg’s commitment to reforming the party and his willingness to support primary challenges against entrenched Democratic incumbents have ruffled feathers within the DNC.
His plan to invest $20 million through his PAC, Leaders We Deserve, to back progressive candidates has been met with resistance from party leadership. DNC Chair Ken Martin has demanded that Hogg pledge neutrality in primaries or step down, emphasizing the importance of impartiality among party officers.
A Democratic National Committee panel on Monday recommended redoing David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta’s elections to party vice-chair, as Hogg faces a separate intraparty battle over his push to primary some Democratic politicians.
The DNC’s credentials committee passed a resolution determining that Kenyatta and Hogg’s election in February was incomplete due to violations of the party’s charter, and the party should hold two new votes with only candidates who previously ran participating. The resolution will now be presented to the entire DNC.
Monday’s resolution came in response to a challenge brought by Kalyn Free, a Native American committeeperson from Oklahoma who lost to Hogg — a 25-year-old Parkland school shooting survivor best known for his gun control advocacy — in one of the vice chair races. Free alleges that during February’s election, the DNC improperly combined two questions and tallied votes together. In doing so, Free argues, the DNC used procedures that gave male candidates an advantage over female candidates, violating the party’s charter.
Now see to me this is strange, given how history has presented to us a clear example of party activism, even extremism, being electorally effective; the Republicans.
This move nullifies moral authority we once had against Republican chicanery both intra-party and nationally. We can’t change an election because we don’t like the result.
If we could..
But when it comes to their own established power network, they do.
Since the advent of what is known as the “Tea Party” they have, with focus and determination and a strong committment to sophistry, galvanized and built a new base that has catapulted them into power.
It isn’t good power. But it is power. Hogg knows this.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Semafor reporter David Weigel posted Hogg’s statement, saying in part, “Today, the DNC took its first steps to remove me from my position as Vice Chair At-Large.”
Hogg continued, “While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers’ elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.”
In an exclusive to Newsweek this month, Hogg said in part that “Obviously I would prefer that I not be removed; however, in the case that I am, I’m still going to fight to build the strongest Democratic Party possible.”
The DNC’s Credentials Committee recently voted to annul Hogg’s election, citing procedural issues related to gender parity rules. While the official reason revolves around election process violations, the timing and context suggest deeper political motivations. Hogg’s aggressive push for generational change and his criticism of the party’s approach to young voters have made him a contentious figure.
Hogg has not shied away from expressing his views, recently stating that the Democratic Party has alienated young men and needs to adopt a more inclusive approach. His candid remarks have sparked debate and, in some quarters, backlash.
Is David Hogg helpful to this party? I can’t say. I never met him. He is brash, mouthy, and not terribly disciplined with messaging. So maybe he is going to be President one day. The thing is the DNC knows the gun message is a non-starter no matter how many coroners testify to the PTSD after examining a shooting aftermath.
So what am I rooting to see? Transparency. Fairness. Equity. A vision. I am rooting to see a democratic process hold sway in the Democratic party. If Hogg ends up being a dolt, so be it. Then make changes.
The controversy surrounding Hogg’s position highlights a broader struggle within the Democratic Party between its progressive wing and the establishment. As the party grapples with its identity and strategy ahead of future elections, the treatment of figures like Hogg will serve as a litmus test for its commitment to inclusivity and reform.
The DNC’s actions raise questions about its willingness to embrace new voices and ideas. If the party continues to sideline emerging leaders advocating for change, it risks alienating the very constituencies it seeks to engage.
-ROC