DNC official leads effort to primary 'out-of-touch ineffective' Democratic incumbents
WASHINGTON - Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots organization co-founded by Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, announced on Wednesday it is launching an effort to primary “out-of-touch, ineffective” House Democratic incumbents in Congress.
The group will be pouring $20 million to help fund young candidates who will challenge incumbents in safe blue districts. They will also back some Democratic candidates running against GOP incumbents and for open seats.
Hogg, 25, told Paste BN in an interview that the Democratic party is facing a “crisis moment” as its approval ratings have dropped after a bruising 2024 election loss. An NBC News poll found 27% of registered voters say they have a positive view of the party − the lowest favorability rating for Democrats in NBC polls dating back to 1990.
“We have to win back those voters. We have to show them how the party is changing and how we are fighting for them, not just to say don't vote for Donald Trump, but vote for us, because we are here to revive the American Dream that far too many young people feel like no longer exists,” Hogg said.
“We need to make sure that we are electing the best people possible and not just maintaining the status quo when our approvals are as low as they are,” he added.
The group didn’t provide a list of incumbents it is challenging. However, Hogg said they will not be targeting frontline Democrats running in competitive districts.
There are already a string of older incumbents facing primary challenges, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who has yet to announce her reelection.
Hogg, however, said that Pelosi and Schakowsky are some older incumbents he thinks have been doing a “good job to meet this moment,” and his group won’t be backing challengers against them.
"We're seeing that it's not just about age, right?...The division in our party right now is not so much. Are you on the left? Are you in the center? It is, do you want to fight or do you want to roll over and die?"
Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, rose to prominence for participating in protests and marches against gun violence.
The effort from Leaders We Deserve is separate from the Democratic National Committee. Ken Martin, chair of the committee, said in a statement to Paste BN that Hogg “is a passionate advocate and we are grateful for his service to the Democratic Party, whether it be in his role as a DNC Vice Chair or in an outside capacity.”
“In order to ensure we are as effective as possible at electing Democrats to office, it is the DNC’s longstanding position that primary voters – not the national party – determine their Democratic candidates for the general election,” Martin said.