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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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David Hogg took multiple swipes at Democrats as he announced that he would not fight to hold on to his leadership role in the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Hogg, 25, decried "a serious lack of vision from Democratic leaders, too many of them asleep at the wheel" in a lengthy thread on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night. He added that three Democratic House members had died this year after being reelected in November, giving Republicans an expanded majority.
He said it became clear that his political action committee, Leaders We Deserve—which is not affiliated with the DNC—"had to start primarying incumbents and directly challenging the culture of seniority politics that brought our party to this place to help get our party into fighting shape again."
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Why It Matters
Hogg's comments came hours after the DNC removed him and Pennsylvania state lawmaker Malcolm Kenyatta from their vice chair roles, saying the February elections they won did not follow the party's rules. The decision came after Kalyn Free, a former vice chair candidate, filed a complaint about how the election was conducted in relation to the party's gender-parity rules.
Hogg, who rose to national prominence as a gun control advocate after surviving the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has also faced fury from Democrats after announcing in April that Leaders We Deserve would spend $2 million to support young progressives in primary challenges against incumbent Democrats in safely blue districts.
He said he would not run in the redo elections. He has contended that the decision to redo the elections is politically motivated and seeks to curb his reform efforts within the party.
What To Know
In his posts on Wednesday, Hogg criticized the "crisis of competence and complacency" in the Democratic Party that he said had "already cost us an election and millions of Americans their rights."
"Let's not let it cost us the country," he added.
Hogg said the party's culture "simply will not change by only focusing on open seats or just throwing half a billion dollars into 30 competitive House seats."
He continued: "We must change the culture of our party that has brought us here and if there is anything activism or history teaches us it's that comfortable people, especially comfortable people with power, do not change. In this moment of crisis, comfort is not an option."
What People Are Saying
David Hogg told Newsweek in May: "The party has been around for over 170 years, and it has evolved a lot, obviously, since its beginning. And I think what the moment calls for is making sure that we have the strongest people possible to fight in our party."
DNC Chair Ken Martin, who has proposed bylaw changes to require party officers to remain neutral in Democratic primaries, said in a statement to Newsweek: "I commend David for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation, and while I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as Vice Chair. I have no doubt that he will remain an important advocate for Democrats across the map. I appreciate his service as an officer, his hard work, and his dedication to the party."
Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta said in a statement posted on X: "I'm grateful to the overwhelming support I've received in this reelection from DNC members and I look forward to getting back to work electing Democrats up and down the ballot. I wish David the best."
What Happens Next
Kenyatta, now the only candidate for the male vice chair slot, is set to run in an election spanning from Thursday to Saturday. Female candidates who were in the running for a vice chair role in February are eligible to run for the second vice chair role.
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