The Democratic National Committee has had a no good, very bad year. That, of course, does not bode well for the 2028 presidential election cycle, and powerful Democrat donors have noticed.
According to Politico, the DNC’s embarrassing missteps under Chair Ken Martin have donors griping and looking for alternatives.
One donor, for instance, described the DNC as “sort of floundering right now.”
And that might have been the most generous assessment Politico received from more than half a dozen donors, donor advisors, and bundlers — those who collect many individual donations — nearly all of whom spoke anonymously.
“Nobody wants to give [Martin] or DNC money at this point, but worry is focused on the day after the midterms, because the DNC is more of a presidential player,” a Democratic bundler said. “It’s beyond embarrassing and it’s not going to get better until he is gone.”
Meanwhile, one donor advisor warned that the DNC’s failures under Martin mean that contributions will dry up after the 2026 midterms. That could change, however, if the DNC replaces Martin.
“We need an overhaul, and I think that’s what my folks will be in support of. And if that happens, there will be end-of-year giving, December will be a boom,” the donor adviser said. “But if it’s Ken, and it’s just the same — same old nonsense — I can’t make the case.”
So far in 2026, the DNC has exhibited its apparent ineptitude in a variety of ways.
For instance, in May, Martin finally released the results of a long-promised 2024 election autopsy that he commissioned. That report, which Martin entrusted to a friend, came to the DNC in unfinished condition and with so many sourcing problems that Martin himself had to effectively disavow it.
Moreover, the DNC finds itself $2 million in debt compared to the Republican National Committee’s $128.5 million cash on hand. Things have gotten so bad, in fact, that earlier this month Martin reportedly threw a phone at an aide’s desk in frustration.
None of this has inspired donors’ confidence as they look to 2028.
“History is precedent and so if you struggle now, that suggests you might struggle later,” a Democratic donor told Politico. “They’re going to have about a dozen candidates running for president. If you look at the inability to competitively raise money, it does make one question if you have the ability to deal with the other problems.”
Democratic donor and attorney Bob Kerrigan even went on record to question the DNC’s purpose.
“There’s a more fundamental issue: What the hell do they do?” Kerrigan said. “They are all in the beltway bubble and they are all important and they collect all sorts of money but what do they do?”
Unfortunately for Democrats, this internal turmoil has beset the party at the same time President Donald Trump and the Republicans’ poll numbers have plummeted.
According to the RealClearPolling aggregate of polls, Trump’s approval rating has fallen below 40 percent.
Likewise, RealClearPolling’s Right Direction/Wrong Track barometer has Trump and the ruling Republicans more than 24 points underwater. Only 34.7 percent of respondents described America as moving in the right direction. By contrast, 59.1 percent of respondents described America as on the wrong track.
The DNC, however, does not appear poised to take advantage of those numbers.
And the same holds true for the party’s projected presidential contenders. In fact, earlier this year, CNN data guru Harry Enten characterized the likely 2028 Democratic field as a “clown car.”
Those early contenders may include former Vice President and 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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