General Discussion

Imagine if the headline read:
“DNC panel concludes February election procedures, favoring male candidates…DNC fails to take action”.

The story goes on…

Kalyn Free, the first woman and first Native American elected state prosecutor in Oklahoma, challenged the procedures used in the DNC’s February election for 3 vacant Vice Chair roles. The DNC credentials committee, after months of investigation and review, found merit in her challenge and recommended to the full DNC leadership that new elections be held.

DNC leader Ken Martin thanked the panel for “its exhaustive work” to examine Free’s claims but said “unfortunately, at this time our leadership focus is strategy development for victory in the 2026 mid-terms and we can’t afford to take time to address these findings. What’s done, is done”.

Free, a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation, expressed disappointment at the decision saying “it is surprising to me that leadership of an organization, when presented with facts demonstrating a bias against women candidates was present in their own election procedures, has chosen a business as usual stance”.

Grassroots response to Martin’s decision to ignore the panel’s recommendations has been swift and sharp. Said one commenter on Democratic Underground, a long standing discussion group known for its intelligent, insightful, and often witty take on the pulse of the Democratic party’s rank and file, said “it’s insane that leadership would knowingly let stand an election structurally biased against women, particularly women of color, in today’s world after our experience in 2016 and again in 2024.” To Hogg’s assertion he’s been targeted by the panel as a means of fast tracking his ouster, another commenter said “what’s the big deal? If they like [Hogg’s] ideas for the party and his approach to primaries, he’ll win this election too.”

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Ken Martin did the right thing taking this to the full DNC for a vote. Hogg’s response, independent of his “they’re out to get me” response should have been “while I’m disappointed in the credentials committee findings, I look forward to the opportunity to win, again, a vice chair roles based on my ideas, strategy, and commitment to electing democratic leaders throughout government nationwide”.