The 2025 Democratic National Committee chairmanship election was held on February 1, 2025, at the party's winter meeting in

National Harbor, Maryland National Harbor is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located along the Potomac River near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and just south of Washington, D.C. It originat ...

, to determine the next chairperson of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

(DNC). Jaime Harrison did not seek a second term as chair of the party. Ken Martin won the election on the first ballot with 246.5 votes.

Background

Harrison was elected chair of the

in January 2021, following the presidential election of

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. During his tenure, Harrison defended Biden from calls to suspend his 2024 re-election campaign amid the first 2024 presidential debate. Following the

2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...

, in which Democratic vice president

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

was defeated by Republican former president

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, it was reported that Harrison would not seek re-election as chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2025. An all-staff meeting was held on November 6, 2024, to discuss the results of the election and a potential timeline for a leadership vote, which was initially scheduled to occur by March 1, 2025 at the latest, according to party bylaws. Harrison officially announced that he would not seek re-election as DNC chair on November 25, 2024. The election to determine the next chair was held during the party's winter meeting on February 1, 2025, during which 448 DNC members voted on a chair; a simple majority of votes was required to win.

Timeline

* November 6, 2024 –

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

reports that Jaime Harrison will not seek re-election as chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2025 following the party's defeat in the

. * December 12, 2024 – Meeting of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted on the chair election process. * January 2025 – Four candidate forums featuring qualifying candidates will be held. * February 1, 2025 – Election was held by party voting members at the DNC's Winter Meeting, and Ken Martin was elected.

Candidates

In order to qualify as a candidate for chair, prospective candidates had to submit a nominating statement signed by 40 DNC members by January 25, 2025.

Declared

* Quintessa Hathaway, educator and nominee for in

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

* Ken Martin, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2017–present) and chair of the

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is a political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota affiliated with the national Democratic Party. The party was formed by a merger between the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minneso ...

(2011–present) *

Martin O'Malley Martin Joseph O'Malley (born January 18, 1963) is an American politician who served as the 17th commissioner of the Social Security Administration from 2023 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was th ...

, commissioner of the

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

(2023–2024), former

governor of Maryland The governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...

(2007–2015), and candidate for president in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

* Jason Paul, executive member of the

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

Democratic City Committee (2016–present) * Faiz Shakir, campaign manager for

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

's 2020 presidential campaign * Ben Wikler, chair of the

Wisconsin Democratic Party The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public edu ...

(2019–present) File:20201024 km 125 (cropped).jpg, alt=Minnesota DFL chair Ken Martin (2011–present), File:Martin O’Malley SSA (3x4).jpg, alt=Social Security Administration commissioner Martin O'Malley (2023–2024), File:Jason Paul (cropped).jpg, alt=Newton, Massachusetts Democratic City Committee executive member Jason Paul, File:Faiz Shakir on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann (cropped).jpg, File:Ben Wikler being interviewed by local news.jpg,

Disqualified

* Robert Houton, nonprofit executive and candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in Maryland

Withdrawn

James Skoufis James Skoufis (born October 18, 1987) is an American politician of the Democratic Party currently representing the 42nd District of the New York State Senate since 2023. Skoufis previously represented the 39th District prior to redistricting f ...

, member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(2019–present) and former member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

(2013–2018) ''(endorsed Martin)'' * Nate Snyder, former United States Department of Homeland Security official ''(endorsed Martin)'' *

Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written s ...

, author and candidate for president in

and

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

''(endorsed Martin)''

Declined

Stacey Abrams Stacey Yvonne Abrams (; born December 9, 1973) is an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, serving as minority leader from 2011 to 2017. A member ...

, former minority leader of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

(2011–2017) from the 84th district (2007–2013) and 89th district (2013–2017) and candidate for

governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's Georgia National Guard, National Guard, when not in federal service, and Georgia State Defense Force, State Defense Fo ...

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

and

''(endorsed Wikler)'' *

Andy Beshear Andrew Graham Beshear ( ; born November 29, 1977) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 50th attorney gen ...

governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; sinc ...

(2019–present) ''(endorsed Wikler)'' * Michael Blake, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2017–2021) ''( running for mayor of New York City and ran for DNC vice chair of civic engagement)'' *

Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell Brown ( ; born November 9, 1952) is an American politician who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2007 and the 47t ...

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

(2007–2025) *

Laphonza Butler Laphonza Romanique Butler ( ; born May 11, 1979) is an American labor union official and former politician who served as an interim United States Senate, United States senator from California from 2023 to 2024. Butler began her career as a union ...

from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(2023–2024) and former president of

EMILY's List EMILYs List is a left-leaning American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "E ...

(2021–2023) *

Pete Buttigieg Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg ( ; born January 19, 1982) is an American politician and former naval officer who served as the 19th United States Secretary of Transportation, United States secretary of transportation from 2021 to 2025. A me ...

, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2021–2025), former mayor of South Bend (2012–2020), and candidate for DNC chair in

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and president in

Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician, advisor, diplomat, and former investment banker who most recently served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan, United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 ...

, U.S. Ambassador to Japan (2022–2025) and former

mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive officer, chief executive of city Government of Chicago, government in Chicago, Illinois, the List of United States cities by population, third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsib ...

(2011–2019) * Marcia Fudge, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2021–2024) and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from (2008–2021) ''(endorsed O'Malley)'' * Mitch Landrieu,

senior advisor to the president Senior Advisor to the President is a title used by high-ranking political advisors to the president of the United States. Senior advisors to the president do not have formal government decision making authority, but they can have significant infl ...

for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs (2021–2024) and former

mayor of New Orleans The post of Mayor of the City of New Orleans () has been held by the following individuals since New Orleans came under American administration following the Louisiana Purchase — the 1803 acquisition by the U.S. of of the French province '' ...

(2010–2018) ''(endorsed O'Malley)'' *

Mallory McMorrow Mallory Ann McMorrow (born August 23, 1986) is an American politician who has served in the Michigan Senate since January 2019. She became senate majority whip on January 1, 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents the 8th distr ...

, majority whip of the

Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...

(2023–present) from the 8th district (2019–present) ''(endorsed Wikler)'' *

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

(2018–present) * Dean Phillips, former

from Minnesota's 3rd congressional district (2019–2025) and candidate for president in 2024 ''(endorsed Martin)'' * Chuck Rocha, political strategist

Forums and debates

The party hosted forums for candidates, who will need to submit the signatures of 40 DNC members to participate in forums. Each of the forums were livestreamed. All declared candidates qualified to attend the forums, however, Robert Houton was barred from attending any forums by outgoing DNC chair Jaime Harrison after making several positive statements about President

and several contributions to Republican candidates.

Endorsements

Results

Of the 428 votes cast, Martin won 246.5 votes, Wikler won 134.5 votes, O'Malley won 44 votes, Shakir won two votes and Paul received one. : Candidate secured enough votes to win election : Candidate secured a plurality of votes in the round : Candidate withdrew

References

External links

Quintessa Hathaway's campaign websiteKen Martin's campaign websiteMartin O'Malley's campaign websiteJason Paul's campaign websiteJames Skoufis's campaign websiteNate Snyder's campaign websiteBen Wikler's campaign websiteMarianne Williamson's campaign website
{{Democratic Party (United States)

Chairmanship election, 2025 Democratic Party (United States) leadership elections February 2025 in the United States Democratic National Committee chairmanship election Martin O'Malley Marianne Williamson