Dems' civil war over party chair hangs over 2028 plans

Democrats fighting over their strategy and leadership for 2028 are locked in on savaging — or saving — the one man with a title and power: DNC chair Ken Martin.

Why it matters: Martin is facing a growing crisis of confidence over the Democratic National Committee's bungled autopsy of the 2024 election and its financial struggles. This is the biggest, earliest test of the party's top brass heading into '28.

• So far, Martin has staved off a revolt among DNC members at a time when they're setting the calendar for the 2028 presidential primary — a key factor in determining the party's next nominee.
• In fact, as some members of Congress and Democratic strategists are calling for Martin to resign, key DNC members are rallying to his defense.

Zoom in: The DNC's powerful rules and bylaws committee met at a D.C. hotel this week to hear the pitches of a dozen states that want to go early in the upcoming primary.

• The delicacy of Martin's position was apparent: He skipped the committee's public meeting, though he did quietly visit the hotel for some private conversations.

Since Martin released — and disavowed — an incomplete autopsy of the 2024 election this month, some Democratic operatives have argued that he lacks the credibility to manage key parts of the upcoming Democratic presidential contest.

• The DNC sets the primary calendar and debate process, and builds up the party's infrastructure for the eventual nominee to inherit.
• "If people can't trust the DNC, what is going to happen is they're going to think the process is rigged against their candidate," said influential "Pod Save America" co-host Dan Pfeiffer on a podcast.
• "The way that Ken Martin has handled this, he has made it very hard for people to trust the DNC."

DNC members gathering this week struck a very different tone: They told Axios they're sticking with Martin.

• "There is huge support, huge support, at this committee and the party as a whole for Ken Martin," said Stuart Appelbaum, a member of the rules and bylaws committee.
• Ray Buckley, leader of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, slammed Martin's critics on social media: "What some of the folks that are online might not understand is that the chair works for the DNC members, and the DNC membership to this day still overwhelmingly supports Ken."

Even a DNC member who had publicly pushed Martin to release the autopsy earlier, Vinod Thomas, said he still backs him.

• "Ken is a reform-minded, progressive leader. If he is forced out, he is likely to be replaced by someone who is far more aligned with insiders, consultants and donor networks," he told us in an email.

Between the lines: It's not surprising that DNC members, including those involved in state parties, are coming to Martin's defense.

• Martin previously led the Association of State Democratic Committees, and since becoming DNC chair, he's boosted funding for state parties.

Reality check: But some Democrats think Martin isn't out of the woods yet. If the party's congressional leaders signal they want him out — or the financial picture for the DNC significantly worsens — they believe he could be pressured to leave.

• Removing Martin would require at least "a majority vote" of the DNC's 400-some members, according to the party's bylaws.

Zoom out: Beyond the drama over Martin, this week's meetings offered a glimpse of the competing visions that could shape the Democratic Party's future.

• The arguments that state parties made in hopes of voting first in the 2028 primary reflected the party's larger debates over race, class, and which voters Democrats should prioritize in the next presidential election.

States such as Nevada and New Mexico highlighted their significant Latino populations to stress the need for Democrats to recapture more of a constituency that drifted to the right in 2024.

• Others, such as South Carolina, emphasized their large Black populations that have long been Democrats' most loyal voters.
• Meanwhile, states such as Tennessee stressed being part of Appalachia, where the Democratic Party was once strong — and, they argued, could be again.

State officials did their own lobbying to host early primaries.

• Nevada Democrats held a private reception for those on the DNC's rules and bylaws panel, with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar. New Hampshire and Michigan Democrats gave them goodie bags.

Donna Brazile, a longtime DNC member, told us that when it came to the state party presentations, "seven out of 12 did exceedingly well."

• She also signaled an openness to elevating battleground states: "I think about one thing, and that is: How do you get to 270 electoral votes?"