On a call with reporters Thursday, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin had strong words for Vice Chair David Hogg, who has promised that his political action committee will undertake a $20 million effort to challenge “ineffective” incumbents in primaries. 

"Let me be unequivocal: No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger," Martin said. "Voters should decide who our primary nominees are, not DNC leadership. Our role is to serve as stewards of a fair, open and trusted process, not to tilt the scales."

What You Need To Know

  • DNC Vice Chair David Hogg has committed that his political action committee would spend $20 million to challenge Democratic incumbents

  • In a strong rebuke Thursday, DNC Chair Ken Martin told reporters that "no DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election"

  • Martin said he has spoken to Hogg and told him he is free to challenge incumbents - "just not as an officer of the DNC"

  • We have reached out to David Hogg for comment

Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, became a leading youth voice in politics when he helped co-found the March for Our Lives movement to push for gun control advocacy. Last week, Hogg announced that his Leaders We Deserve PAC plans to spend $20 million in the upcoming election to challenge incumbents in safe Democratic districts in an effort to reinvigorate the party. While he has promised that his PAC will not solely target races based on age, his decision to spend large chunks of cash on safe seats rather than battleground races has angered members of the party. 

Martin says he has spoken with Hogg, whom he called “an amazing young leader who’s done so much already to help move our movement forward,” about the matter.

“I understand what he's trying to do," Martin said. "As I've said to him: If you want to challenge incumbents, you're more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be neutral arbiters. We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time. We have to make a decision.

“I am a huge fan of David Hogg’s, and I'm glad he's a part of our officer corps, but it's important for us to maintain the trust that we have built with Democratic voters and to keep our thumb off the scale as party officers,” he continued.

Hogg has not responded to requests for comment from Spectrum News.

Martin said that during the DNC officer retreat last month, officer neutrality was addressed and that he asked all officers to “sign and abide by” a neutrality pledge — “which almost every office did.”

“It is more important than ever for there to be a strong and trusted Democratic Party," he said. "Questions about neutrality and integrity only serve to weaken us at a time when we can least afford it."