Additional Coverage:
- DNC panel recommends redo of vote that elevated David Hogg to vice chair after procedural concerns (nbcnews.com)
DNC Subcommittee Recommends New Vice-Chair Elections
A Democratic National Committee subcommittee has recommended invalidating a February vice-chair election, citing procedural concerns that may have disadvantaged female candidates. This decision could lead to new races for the positions currently held by activist David Hogg and Pennsylvania state legislator Malcolm Kenyatta.
The recommendation, made by the DNC Credentials Committee, stems from a challenge filed by Oklahoma Committeewoman Kalyn Free, who ran unsuccessfully against Hogg and Kenyatta. Free alleges that the handling of the vice-chair vote, specifically the decision to hold a single vote for the final two slots, gave an unfair advantage to the two male candidates.
This was due to the DNC’s gender balance requirements, which necessitated the election of at least one man. Free argues that separate ballots might have yielded different results.
Hogg and Kenyatta’s representatives maintain that the combined ballot was a legitimate move to expedite the lengthy voting process.
The full DNC will now vote on whether to hold a new election. This decision comes amid ongoing tension between Hogg and the national party leadership regarding his public stance on challenging incumbent Democrats in primaries. DNC Chairman Ken Martin has been pushing for a neutrality rule for party officers in primaries, a move seemingly at odds with Hogg’s stated intentions.
Hogg insists the challenge is about the election process, not his actions, but acknowledges the “broader context” of his reform efforts. He views the vote as an attempt to remove him from his position.
Kenyatta expressed frustration with the committee’s decision, emphasizing his dedication to the role. He also downplayed the connection to the Hogg-DNC tensions, stating that the situation “is not about [David Hogg].”
Martin framed the issue as a procedural matter, emphasizing his commitment to fairness and expressing confidence in the DNC members’ ability to resolve the situation.
The Credentials Committee’s decision followed a lengthy virtual meeting, including a tie vote and subsequent debate. The committee ultimately voted 13-5 to declare the February election “incomplete” and recommend new elections as soon as possible, limited to the candidates from the final ballot.
Committee member and former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory likened the process to resetting a broken bone – painful but necessary for recovery.