he Democratic Party is once again in turmoil—this time over a move to oust gun control activist David Hogg from his leadership post at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). And let’s just say—it’s not sitting quietly.
David Hogg, a high-profile activist best known for his advocacy on gun control after surviving the 2018 Parkland school shooting, was elected in February to serve as Vice Chair At-Large of the DNC. He was elected alongside Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D).
But just a few months later, the DNC’s own credentials committee voted 13-2 to throw out the results of that election. That vote has now triggered an ugly internal battle among Democrats.
According to The Hill, the vote followed a complaint over how the DNC conducted the officer elections—not necessarily because of Hogg’s activism. But Hogg isn’t buying that excuse, and he’s accusing the DNC of political retaliation.
Hogg issued a blistering statement that essentially accused the DNC of punishing him for trying to shake things up.
“Today, the DNC took its first steps to remove me from my position as Vice Chair At-Large,” Hogg said. “While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers’ elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.”
Hogg went on to explain that his organization recently announced plans to spend $20 million to “primary” ineffective Democrats in Congress—basically, run challengers against them in their own party primaries.
He warned that the DNC is failing its voters, saying:
“Our country is in crisis, and too many leaders in the Democratic Party are asleep at the wheel. Trump is on a mission to crash our economy, disappear people without due process, and participate in flagrant public corruption – and voters still trust him more than Democrats. That is a massive indictment of our party.”
One of Hogg’s biggest complaints is the hypocrisy within the Democratic Party.
“In response, the DNC made it clear they were going to remove me, due to the necessity of ‘neutrality’ for the party,” Hogg claimed. “This is despite the fact that the DCCC, DSCC, and other party committees regularly get involved in primaries.”
He pointed out that other Democrat-aligned groups—such as the Democratic Lt. Governor’s Association—have openly spent big money in primary races, including a seven-figure ad buy in Illinois, all without pushback from party leadership.
“Past DNC Vice Chairs have endorsed candidates in primaries as well, without any issue,” Hogg added.
Even some Democrat strategists are stunned by the DNC’s priorities.
“I hate to be the party of chaos when the GOP is doing such a good job of it,” Democrat consultant Marj Halperin told The Hill. “This isn’t the priority voters want the DNC to be focused on.”
So why did the DNC really throw out the February election?
It all began with a complaint from Kalyn Free, one of the losing candidates in the vice chair race. According to The New York Times, Free argued that the election was improperly run because the DNC combined two separate election questions into one, which she claimed hurt female candidates under the party’s gender-balance rules.
While the DNC insists the vote wasn’t aimed at Hogg’s political activities, the timing and the internal friction suggest otherwise.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin has taken a firm stance, urging Hogg to either stay politically neutral or resign.
“Party officers have one job: to be fair stewards of a process that invites every Democrat to the table — regardless of personal views or allegiances,” Martin said in a statement to Politico.
Martin also clarified his position in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter):
“A neutrality pledge isn’t about silencing anyone,” he wrote. “It ensures that candidates, and the millions of supporters behind them, can participate in our primary process without interference from party leadership.”
In other words: the DNC wants no “thumb on the scale”—unless, apparently, it benefits their preferred candidates.
This episode highlights something much deeper: a growing civil war within the Democratic Party. Younger activists like David Hogg are challenging the old guard, questioning the party’s strategy, and trying to force a change in direction. But the establishment is pushing back hard.
At a time when Democrats often accuse Republicans of internal division, this dust-up shows that infighting is alive and well on the Left, too—and it’s getting uglier.
As we get closer to the 2024 election, keep an eye on how this plays out. If the Democratic Party can’t keep its own house in order, it may find itself in real trouble at the ballot box.
