Ken Martin, one of the leading candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee, said Tuesday he has the support of 200 party members, close to the level of support he needs to win.
If that support holds for Mr. Martin, the head of the Minnesota Democratic Party, he will fall just 25 votes short of the number needed to win the party’s Feb. 1 election.
“I’m honored to have the support of leaders across the country,” Martin said. “Our campaign is gaining momentum and we will continue to work to get people to vote.”
None of the other candidates in the DNC leadership race claim to have the same level of support. His campaign has not released a list of supporters, but more than 100 national committee members have publicly endorsed him.
Other leading candidates have expressed far fewer public endorsements. One of them, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, has made “just over 100” personal commitments, said his spokesman Chris Taylor.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, who is seen as Mr. Martin’s chief rival, said he would not release the number of whips in his party. But in response to Martin’s tally, Wikler’s spokeswoman Brianna Johnson said Wikler’s tally was “within 30 votes of Ken.”
Ms Johnson said Mr Martin was “trying to create a false sense of momentum”.
Mr. Martin and Mr. Wikler share largely similar mainstream politics, and no major proposals for party realignment have featured prominently in the campaign since President Trump’s victory in November.
Last week, Faiz Shakir, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign manager, entered the race vowing to redefine the party as a champion of the working class.
Mr. Martin founded and led the Democratic state party leadership organization, which grew to become a power center within the national committee and a thorn in the side of leaders, but other state party chairmen and vice chairmen. have shown support among themselves.
Many organized Democratic leaders have privately complained about Mr. Martin’s attempts to lead the party, but have made little public effort to prevent him from winning.
Other candidates include Nate Snyder, a former Homeland Security official in the Obama and Biden administrations. Marianne Williamson, former presidential candidate. Jason Paul, a Massachusetts attorney, said at a forum last week that his party lost the presidential election because “the political media insisted on manufacturing the Democratic controversy.”
Members of the national committee are scheduled to meet on February 1 at a hotel outside Washington to elect their next chair. Current chairman Jamie Harrison is not seeking re-election.
