Today, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Chair and Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC) President Ken Martin was elected as the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) with overwhelming support from DNC members on the first ballot. In his acceptance speech, newly-elected Chair Martin committed to holding the Trump administration accountable, uniting and charting a new path for the Democratic Party, and fighting for working families. 

“The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and it’s time to roll up our sleeves and outcompete everywhere, in every election, and at every level of government — and I look forward to working with this next generation of leadership to build a Party to unite America,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin. “Today’s elections mark a new chapter in DNC leadership, and Donald Trump and his billionaire allies are put on notice: we will hold them accountable for ripping off working families, and we will beat them at the ballot box.” 

New DNC Chair Martin campaigned on a promise to implement a new framework at the DNC: Build to Win, Build to Expand, Build to Last. Here’s what that looks like:

• Build to win by expanding our vision and infrastructure. This means funding parties in all 57 states and territories, meaningfully investing in youth empowerment and mobilization, ensuring there is Democratic infrastructure in every ZIP code, and organizing year-round.

• Build to expand by going on offense everywhere, contesting every race, and embracing our responsibility to support Democrats running at every level.

• Build to last by planning, organizing, and implementing a 10-year strategy to align the infrastructure, partnerships, and people we need to win. We must listen to voters and be willing to dig deep and recenter the Democratic agenda to reestablish who we are in the eyes of American voters.

Background on DNC Chair Ken Martin

Ken Martin has served as the Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party since 2011 — making him the longest serving Chair in the 75-year history of the DFL. 

Ken made the DFL what it is today — an all-day, year-round party dedicated to organizing communities, empowering the grassroots, electing progressive candidates, and improving the lives of Minnesotans.

Given his success as the DFL Party Chairman, Ken was elected by his peers across the country to serve as the President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs in 2017, where he works with state and local party committees to build permanent, long-lasting political infrastructure so they can elect candidates from the school board to the Oval Office.

Before his election as Chairman, Ken spent two decades working for progressive candidates and causes. He played key leadership roles on various campaigns, including Dayton for Governor in 2010, Hatch for Governor in 2006, Kerry for President in 2004, Humphrey for Secretary of State in 2002, and Gore for President in 2000. Ken led the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment campaign in 2008, which dedicated funding to the arts, environment, conservation, and parks and trails in Minnesota. It is the largest conservation finance measure in the nation to ever become law.

Ken and his wife, Jennifer O’Rourke, live in Eagan, Minnesota with their two sons.