The Democratic National Committee has hit the reset button — literally. After months of internal conflict, rule violations, and mounting embarrassments, members voted 294-99 on Wednesday to rerun the vice chair elections that had elevated David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta to national leadership in February.
And in a move that says more than any speech could, David Hogg won’t be on the ballot.
From the moment Hogg entered the DNC structure, trouble followed. By April, his PAC Leaders We Deserve was actively supporting primary challengers against moderate Democrats, placing him directly at odds with the party’s electoral strategy in swing districts.
Then, a complaint from Oklahoma activist Kalyn Free landed before the DNC’s Credentials Committee, citing violations of the party’s gender balance rules during the February election. The committee agreed: the results had to be voided.
Now, the DNC will conduct two rounds of voting over the next week to fill the vice chair positions. Both Hogg and Kenyatta are eligible to run again — but Hogg, seeing the writing on the wall, is stepping aside.
In a letter to The New York Times, Hogg wrote:
“It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair… I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters.”
A noble-sounding sentiment, but Hogg’s exit is more about damage control than deference. In truth, his activism-first approach, willingness to challenge party orthodoxy, and media magnetism made him a lightning rod in an already fractured party.
Adding fuel to the fire was a sting video released by Project Veritas showing Hogg musing on Jill Biden’s Chief of Staff’s influence in the White House and noting Nancy Pelosi’s stock-picking talents — comments that many read as accidental confirmations of insider influence and political dysfunction.
Then came the Politico leak: audio from a private May 15 Zoom meeting in which DNC Chair Ken Martin expressed raw frustration with Hogg’s divisive presence:
“I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore… you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.”
Martin’s emotional remarks — and his apparent exhaustion — became a focal point. The leak embarrassed the DNC, further exposed internal fractures, and prompted speculation that Hogg or someone close to him was responsible.
Hogg denied leaking the tape, but not with total clarity. Instead, he posted messages from a Politico reporter requesting comment, strongly implying he wasn’t the source — while stopping short of a firm denial.
