On February 1st, the Democratic National Committee will elect a new chair to succeed outgoing chair Jaime Harrison. The chair is the party’s top executive and serves as a figurehead for Democrats nationally. Several candidates have thrown their hats in the ring, including Wisconsin state party chair Ben Wikler, former Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley, Minnesota state party chair Ken Martin, among others.
Electing a new DNC chair is Democrats’ first major intra-party decision of the post-Biden era and will help set the tone for Trump’s second term. And as we start (already!) to prepare for the next midterm elections, this party chair will be tasked with leading Democrats to victory and taking back House and Senate seats in 2026.
Let’s be real: this is some wonky, inside-baseball stuff. But as the party charts a new path forward and prepares for the fights ahead, it’s important that key actors like Indivisibles understand how this process works and the possibilities for new leadership.
What Does the Chair Do Anyways?
Here’s what the Democratic Party’s charter says about the chair:
The National Chairperson of the Democratic Party shall carry out the programs and policies of the National Convention and the Democratic National Committee.
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In the conduct and management of the affairs and procedures of the Democratic National Committee, particularly as they apply to the preparation and conduct of the Presidential nomination process, the Chairperson shall exercise impartiality and evenhandedness as between the Presidential candidates and campaigns. The Chairperson shall be responsible for ensuring that the national officers and staff of the Democratic National Committee maintain impartiality and evenhandedness during the Democratic Party Presidential nominating process.
That’s a broad job description, which means the job can be shaped significantly by its occupant. In practice, the role of chair has mostly been that of a fundraiser and cheerleader for the party, although they also participate in work to organize delegates and recruit candidates. But the chair can be so much more than that. Let’s dig into possible roles and leadership models that a new chair could embody.
More Than a Cheerleader
With a role as moldable and visible as the chair, there’s an opportunity for a leader who can create a holistic approach to supporting and growing the party after the losses of 2024. Here are several models we could expect a new party chair to draw from.
Administrator — Above all, the DNC is an organization that requires management and stewardship. An administrator will be able to fund and competently manage the nuts-and-bolts of the operation.
Cheerleader — The cheerleader is another role of the chair; this person spends a lot of time in the media working to cheer on Democratic officials and promote Democratic candidates. This is a media-heavy version of the role and could look new if the chair was compelled to appear outside of MSNBC and other typical liberal platforms.
Enforcer — A strong party chair can help to maintain alignment (or enforce allegiance) within the party by leveraging their position and resources to promote ideologically aligned candidates or punish misaligned candidates. Executing on a model like this has been a requirement for RNC Chairs in the Trump era.
Fundraiser — This is the most common model of DNC Chair and what is largely expected of candidates jumping into the race today. This person is expected to spend most of their time chasing donors and supporting fundraising efforts for candidates, national committees, and state parties.
Organizer — This is a model of leadership we don’t typically see in DNC Chairs; it would be someone who is heavily invested in Democratic ground game and working to build capacity for state parties and campaigns for coordinated efforts during election cycles. This person should also be focused on coalition building with activists and constituencies both within and beyond the typical Democratic base.
Pitcher — The party currently has a very poor public reputation, and may benefit from a DNC Chair who can pitch the party to the segments of the electorate who have become disillusioned with Democrats. This would have a similar emphasis on media as the cheerleader, but would require that the chair speak to audiences outside of our typical channels. Alternatively you can think of this person as a fighter or brand promoter.
Recruiter — The DNC Chair isn’t often super directly involved in candidate recruitment, as that is typically the job of the DSCC and DCCC. But a connected and compelling DNC Chair could be a strong closer for efforts to bring in strong new candidates, and set a model of the types of candidates Democrats are looking to elevate.