Progressive activist David Hogg on Wednesday announced he will not be running in the Democratic National Committee’s upcoming election, leaving his post as vice chair following months of tense party infighting over his plan to take down Democratic incumbents.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Hogg, the first Gen Zer to be elected to the post, shed light on part of the reason for his decision to step down after about 130 days in the leadership job.
“I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs. It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair — and it’s okay to have disagreements,” he said. “What isn’t okay is allowing this to remain our focus when there is so much more we need to be focused on.”
“Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters,” he added.
Hogg said he will devote his full attention to his Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots group he co-founded with the goal of electing young, progressive candidates to Congress and state legislatures.
Hogg stirred criticism within the DNC after he shared his plan for his group to spend millions funding challengers to Democratic incumbents in safe Democratic districts, a decision many in the party felt was at odds with his leadership role.
That frustration was laid bare in a leaked recording of a DNC meeting obtained by Politico in which Chair Ken Martin told Hogg he has “essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.”
While Martin appeared exasperated during the meeting, telling fellow DNC members he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue serving as chair, he has subsequently stated he’s “not going anywhere.”
In a statement on Hogg’s DNC departure, Martin commended him “for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation, and while I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as Vice Chair.”
“I have no doubt that he will remain an important advocate for Democrats across the map,” Martin added.
Hogg, who rose to the national spotlight as a survivor of one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings in Parkland, Florida, was elected as one of the DNC’s vice chairs in a February election but members voted Wednesday to redo the vote following a complaint that the earlier election violated parliamentary rules. That meant both Hogg and another vice chair, Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, would be removed from their roles and have to take part in a new election.
As Hogg saw the writing on the wall, on Tuesday his organization endorsed state Del. Irene Shin in the special election to replace late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). Prior to his death, Connolly had announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection and endorsed his former chief of staff James Walkinshaw to succeed him.