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Ken Martin, the chair of the Minnesota Democrats, said he was nearing the level of support needed to become the next leader of the Democratic National Committee.
Reid J. Epstein
Reid J. Epstein is covering the contest to lead the Democratic National Committee and how the party remakes itself in the new Trump era.
Ken Martin, one of the front-runners to lead the Democratic National Committee, said on Tuesday that he had support from 200 members of the party, a level of backing that is close to what he needs to clinch victory.
If that support holds for Mr. Martin, the chairman of the Minnesota Democrats, he would be just 25 votes short of the number necessary to win the party elections on Feb. 1.
“I’m honored to have gained the support of leaders from across the country,” Mr. Martin said. “Our campaign is gaining momentum and we’re going to continue to work hard for people’s votes.”
None of the other candidates in the race to lead the D.N.C. have claimed anywhere near the level of support that Mr. Martin has. His campaign did not release a list of his backers, though more than 100 national committee members have made their support for him public.
The other top contenders have announced far fewer public endorsements. One of them, Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland, has “just over 100” private commitments, according to his spokesman, Chris Taylor.
Ben Wikler, the Wisconsin Democratic chairman seen as Mr. Martin’s main rival, had said that he would not release internal whip counts. But in response to Mr. Martin’s tally, Mr. Wikler’s spokeswoman, Brianna Johnson, said Mr. Wikler’s count was “within 30 votes of Ken.”
Ms. Johnson said Mr. Martin was “seeking to create a false sense of momentum.”
Mr. Martin and Mr. Wikler share broadly similar mainstream politics, and the race has not been marked by major proposals to remake the party after President Trump’s victory in November.
Last week, Faiz Shakir, who served as the campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential bid, joined the race pledging to redefine the party as defenders of the working class.
Mr. Martin, who founded and led an organization of Democratic state party leaders that morphed into a power center within the national committee and grew into an annoyance for its leaders, has demonstrated support among fellow state party chairs and vice chairs.
Many institutional Democratic officials have privately complained about Mr. Martin’s attempt to lead the party, but they have made little public effort to block him from winning.
Other candidates include Nate Snyder, a former homeland security official in the Obama and Biden administrations; Marianne Williamson, the former presidential candidate; and Jason Paul, a Massachusetts lawyer who said during a forum last week that his party lost the presidential election because “the political media has insisted on manufacturing Democratic controversies.”
National committee members are set to gather on Feb. 1 at a hotel in Washington’s suburbs to elect their next chairman. Jaime Harrison, the current chairman, is not seeking re-election.
Reid J. Epstein covers campaigns and elections from Washington. Before joining The Times in 2019, he worked at The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Newsday and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. More about Reid J. Epstein
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