Ken Martin's dysfunctional DNC alarms Democrats

• The DNC will play a crucial role in organizing Democrats' 2028 primary and in building the infrastructure for the party's next presidential nominee.
• But the DNC has been in a perpetual state of near-insolvency, mired by internal finger-pointing since the 2024 election, and Martin hasn't been able to fix the problems.
• It's not just the usual DNC critics — Martin's allies and would-be allies who want him to succeed say they're increasingly worried and believe he hasn't created space for candid feedback and a course correction.

Zoom in: Democratic sources tell Axios that Martin has shown a thin skin and that he personalizes criticism in a way that can be self-defeating.

• Many DNC officials, donors, and other Democrats believe honest feedback would be greeted with hostility.
• Thirteen months into his tenure as DNC chair, the limelight — and the criticism that has come with it — appear to have taken a toll on Martin, who often seems melancholy and put-upon, his allies told Axios.

There's also been internal frustration about Martin's reliance on longtime allies from Minnesota, whom some insiders refer to as the "Minnesota Mafia."

• Some Democrats say Martin hasn't grown to trust many people in the DNC office and has become more insular in recent months.

National Democrats also say Martin has a habit of over-promising and under-delivering.

• Martin frustrated many party leaders last fall by promising much more money to Virginia and New Jersey for their elections than the party was able to afford. While the party made historic investments, the exaggerated commitments annoyed many national Democrats.

As recently as January, Martin was still privately pushing the idea of a midterm Democratic convention despite being advised that he was committing money the party didn't have.

• The DNC recently canceled its midterm convention plans.
• Martin told those inside the DNC this wasn't because of the expected costs, but because state parties wanted to focus on this year's primaries instead.

Zoom out: Many Democrats agree on one thing — the DNC chair's first priority is fundraising, and Martin is falling short on that.

• The DNC has teetered on the edge of insolvency during the past year. It has about $15 million cash on hand but is more than $17 million in debt.
• Last October, the DNC took out $15 million in loans to help keep the committee afloat.

Leaders privately have discussed the possibility of limited layoffs in the coming months. A DNC official told Axios the committee has no plans for staff layoffs.

• Some Democrats have bristled at Martin's media-heavy schedule while the party is struggling financially.
• Several donors told Axios they met with Martin or had a call with him early in his tenure, but haven't heard from him since.

Would-be allies say Martin has held a grudge against donors who opposed him in the race for chair last year.

• One donor who didn't support Martin in the race put it bluntly: "He needs all of us, and he's not asking us to do anything."

What they're saying: DNC spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said Martin "has invested early and aggressively in the Democratic Party's infrastructure .... Winning now, in 2028, and for years to come is the DNC's North Star. Anything else is just gossip and noise."

Reality check: It's always difficult for a party chair to raise money in the first year after the party loses the White House — as Democrats did in 2016 and 2024.

• Martin had good fundraising initially, but he's been burdened by a $20 million-plus debt from Kamala Harris' campaign.

Donors and activists remain angry about Donald Trump's return to the presidency, and the DNC is often a convenient punching bag.

• Many of the party's stars who may run for president in 2028 haven't been as helpful as they could be despite requests to do more.
• Several other groups in the Democratic ecosystem also have struggled with fundraising since the 2024 election because of some donors' disillusionment.

While Martin has many critics, they often have contradictory ideas of what he should or shouldn't be doing.

• Despite the swipes at Martin's leadership, Democrats have been winning up and down the ballot over the past year. The party has benefitted from anger over Trump's policies, and Martin has invested a large amount of money in state parties.
• The DNC has announced the dates of the 2028 Democratic convention and is on course to settle its presidential primary calendar in the coming months.
• "The DNC is on track financially to deliver wins this November, in 2028, and for years to come thanks to strategic and aggressive early investments that are already paying off," said Chris Lowe, co-chair of the DNC's national finance committee.

The intrigue: Few issues will set off Martin's critics more quickly than his handling of the DNC's "autopsy" on the 2024 campaign.

• They say it was a debacle that reflects larger problems with his leadership that need to be addressed before the presidential campaign officially starts next year.
• Allies advised Martin not to do an autopsy or promise to make the report public, but he did both.

Martin entrusted his confidante Paul Rivera with the task despite Rivera's lack of experience on recent presidential campaigns.

• Some people interviewed for the report said the process felt disorganized, and that Rivera appeared to tell people what they wanted to hear when he interviewed them.
• Many Democratic campaign and super PAC leaders from the 2024 presidential race told Axios they never spoke with Rivera.
• Late last summer, Rivera's team made hasty attempts to contact some top Democrats before the report's intended release.

After repeated delays on one of his signature promises, Martin said in December he wouldn't publish the report — infuriating many Democrats and teams for potential 2028 candidates.

• It also further alienated some donors.
• "You spent donor money to do the autopsy and then didn't provide" it, one told Axios. "It's not your money."

Between the lines: People briefed on the report told Axios there essentially are two versions: a large, "Frankenstein monster" of documents that includes interviews without any narrative or through-line, and a shorter, vague document that's similar to what Democrats have said publicly.

• Martin hiding the document has made it an object of fascination among activists who believe it includes details the DNC is hiding for nefarious purposes.
• Martin argued in December that releasing the report would result in more finger-pointing and wouldn't help the party move forward. Many of his allies agree.

Even now, few people outside of Martin's inner circle have read the autopsy, though he says its recommendations are being implemented.