DNC sets June vote over redoing election on David Hogg's vice chair role
The Democratic National Committee took another step Thursday toward removing a pair of vice chairs — including David Hogg, who ignited controversy in the party with his pledge to challenge 'asleep at the wheel' Democrats.
DNC members will now vote via electronic ballot from June 9 to June 11 on whether to hold a redo of the election for the two vice chair positions, after a DNC panel granted a procedural complaint about the original contest that was unrelated to the broader firestorm surrounding Hogg.
If a majority of DNC members approve it, both Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta would lose their vice chair positions and kick off a new election for the roles. DNC members would vote for the new male vice chair from June 12 to June 14 and then vote for a second vice chair of any gender from June 15 to June 17.
During the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting on Thursday, which set the election timeline, Hogg objected to re-doing the election, telling members it 'sends a horrible message to the public about our inability to run elections.'
'If we're to redo this election, it truly just sends a horrible message that we really do not want out there at this moment,' Hogg continued. 'That's why I believe that it should not go forward.'
An election that could ultimately oust Hogg comes as the party feuds with the gun-safety activist. Last month, Hogg announced Leaders We Deserve, the group he co-founded, planned to target 'ineffective' Democratic incumbents with $20 million in spending. In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin proposed a change to the party's bylaws to mandate that DNC officers remain neutral in all primaries. The DNC is expected to vote on the measure at its August meeting.
But the squabble over the initial election could force Hogg out sooner. A complaint filed in February alleged that the DNC bungled its own rules over gender equity of its officers when Hogg and Kenyatta were elected.
Hogg has argued it's 'impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote,' adding that the DNC has 'pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.'
Kenyatta, for his part, has called for a virtual candidate forum should the election move forward. In a thread posted to X, Kenyatta has also complained about how the media has covered the dust-up by focusing on Hogg as the 'main character.'
'This story is complex and I'm frustrated — but it's not about @davidhogg111. Even though he clearly wants it to be,' Keyatta posted.
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