Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has pulled the plug on a postmortem examining why the party fell short in the 2024 elections, saying it would be a "distraction" from its "core mission."
"We completed a comprehensive review of what happened in 2024 and are already putting our learnings into motion," Martin said Thursday, according to NBC News. "And we're winning again — even in places that haven't gone blue in decades."
"In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what's important, and that's learning from the past and winning the future," added Martin.
"Here's our North Star: Does this help us win? If the answer is no, it's a distraction from the core mission."
Martin ordered the autopsy shortly after taking over at the DNC in February.
Democrats, frustrated after losing control of Congress and the White House, demanded a comprehensive look at the national party's strategy. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris lost all of the key swing states to President Donald Trump after former President Joe Biden declined to seek reelection.
Democrats have been buoyed by election victories in Virginia and New Jersey last month. The party sees an opening ahead of next year's elections because the party out of power typically performs well in midterms.
But there are signs the party as an institution is struggling to reverse its poor public image.
The DNC's finances also remain precarious. Martin's candidacy for chair was opposed by some major donors, according to The New York Times, and in the fall, he took out a $15 million loan to keep the party fully funded.
After the loan, the party entered November with just $18.3 million in cash on hand, meaning it had only about $3 million after accounting for its debts. The Republican National Committee, by contrast, had $91.2 million and no debts, according to the Times.
It is not immediately known how thorough the review was on some of the most contentious questions Democrats faced last year, including Biden's late-stage decision not to seek reelection.
It is also unknown whether the review engaged with criticism of Harris' campaign strategy before Election Day, questions that have stoked division within the party, according to NBC News.
Nor is it known who within the party has seen the review.
A DNC official told NBC News the completed review includes hundreds of interviews with people from every state and outlines specific lessons, including ways to revamp campaign organizing and better reach young voters.
The review is also said to highlight the need for the party to be more responsive to voters' concerns, particularly on issues where Democrats were seen as defensive or lacking credibility, such as immigration and the economy.
The official added that as Democrats feel optimistic about their positioning ahead of the 2026 midterms, the national party committee did not want to turn its focus backward.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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