Dnc Gives David Hogg An Ultimatum

The Democratic National Committee is going to force David Hogg to decide: Get out of the primary game or lose his DNC post.

During a member call on Thursday, DNC Chair Ken Martin is expected to announce a proposal to change the party’s rules to mandate all DNC officers stay neutral in all Democratic primaries, according to a person directly familiar with the plan and granted anonymity to describe private discussions. The move comes after Hogg pledged last week to spend millions of dollars funding challenges to “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats in primaries, igniting a firestorm inside the DNC.

The proposal, if passed at the DNC’s August meeting, would effectively force Hogg to decide whether to step away from his DNC vice chair position or wall himself off from the group he co-founded, Leaders We Deserve, which has pledged to spend $20 million on challenging Democratic incumbents in safe blue seats.

It’s an escalation in the fight between Hogg and other DNC leaders and House Democrats, many of whom were enraged by Hogg’s announcement. Hogg, who rose to national prominence as a gun safety activist after he survived a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., said last week that he planned to back candidates who would challenge “ineffective” safe-seat Democrats. But House members and Democratic leaders vented that he was touching off a “circular firing squad” inside the party.

Hogg said in an interview last week that he would “fight to remain in this position,” though he told at least two Democrats that he’s willing to lose his vice chair position through this process.

Martin’s announcement on Thursday is expected to include other reforms aimed at transparency inside the party. NOTUS first reported news of the proposal to expand the party’s neutrality rules.

“This isn’t about David,” said Jane Kleeb, president of the Association of State Democratic Parties. “This is about a bigger reform package that will be presented to DNC members that Ken ran on and that we've been pushing inside the DNC for a decade,” Kleeb added.

DNC members would vote on the proposal, which would amend the party’s rules and bylaws, at their August meeting.