DNC chair tries to tamp down uproar over hiding election autopsy
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NEW ORLEANS — Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin is quietly trying to quash criticism over his decision to hide the party's "autopsy" of what went wrong in the 2024 election, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Nearly four months after DNC officials announced they planned to keep the autopsy private because they wanted to focus on winning the 2026 midterms, they're still trying to contain the fallout from inside and outside the party.
- A DNC member told us Martin called him directly after he expressed support for releasing the still-secret report.
- Martin also has internally discussed releasing a short summary of the report's findings but has been unclear on the timing, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.
- It's unclear whether such a summary would differ from the limited takeaways the DNC released in December, which included recommendations to modernize the party's infrastructure and engage with new media.
Zoom in: At the DNC's meeting here last week, a few people stood and yelled at Martin, calling on him to make the full report public.
- Outside the hotel where the DNC gathered, a progressive group placed a mobile billboard that read, "RELEASE THE AUTOPSY."
Driving the news: Vinod Thomas, a DNC member from North Carolina, said Martin reached out to him shortly before last week's meeting and explained why he's keeping the report under wraps.
- Thomas previously had expressed concern to other DNC members about the autopsy.
- "I have a lot of respect for Ken," Thomas said. But "I have to respectfully disagree with him on this issue."
- "Transparency is a key thing that we as Democrats fight for," he added. "A lot of the Democrats back in North Carolina who put me on the DNC told me they want this thing released."
- Some other DNC members told us at last week's meeting that they believe Martin made the wrong call in keeping the report private and have likewise fielded complaints about it from Democrats.
The other side: Asked for comment, a DNC spokesperson pointed to Martin's previous remarks about why he withheld the report, in which he said his "North Star" was winning elections.
- Some insiders agree with DNC leaders that the autopsy shouldn't be released because doing so could lead to unnecessary party infighting.
- "It was time for Democrats to move forward and focus on taking back power," longtime Democratic strategist and DNC member Maria Cardona said.
