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Before leading the Democratic National Committee (DNC), I dedicated my career to the party at various levels. My initial mentor was the late , a progressive leader known for courageous stances, such as opposing the Iraq War, which drew criticism from influential figures.
The young staff, including myself, were passionate about change. We aimed to reform the established systems. I recall Paul emphasizing that lasting change requires internal involvement.
Recent discussions have centered on the Democratic Party’s role in selecting general election candidates. A DNC vice chair recently proposed influencing democratic primaries. I want to explain why this is a mistake.
Actually, I consider myself a reformer. That’s why, for the past decade, I’ve worked to ensure the party is never seen as favoring any one candidate. As DNC Chair, I’m committed to preventing past mistakes.
Here’s why.
Eight years ago, the Democratic Party faced a major crisis. We not only failed to prevent Donald Trump’s election, but we also saw of Democratic voters. The DNC was plagued by allegations of favoring a candidate during the presidential primary. This controversy alienated even the most loyal supporters, who felt that party leaders, not voters, were deciding the Democratic nominee. Some even threatened to leave the party.
As we faced the Trump presidency, our party was weakened when working families needed us most. Losing voter trust weakens our ability to advocate for them. The year 2016 was a critical turning point. We needed significant changes to recover.
Around that time, I was chosen to lead the Association of State Democratic Committees, an organization largely unknown to the public. My new role involved coordinating all 57 state and territory Democratic parties.
This allowed me to collaborate with the newly elected DNC leadership to implement essential structural reforms.
First, the 2016 primary highlighted concerns about the role of “superdelegates.” At contested conventions, like in 2016, their votes could be decisive. I proposed a solution that fundamentally altered, and , the influence of superdelegates, ensuring that voters, not party insiders, would determine the party’s nominee.
Second, alongside Keith Ellison, then a U.S. Representative from Minnesota, I pushed for a comprehensive neutrality policy to eliminate any appearance of bias toward candidates in the DNC’s operations. Now as Chair, I believe this should be formally included in our bylaws.
This isn’t about personal opinions, but about principles. It doesn’t matter if you’re challenging or defending a seat, or if you’re 18 or 80. I certainly have my own views. However, as DNC Chair, the person who ensures fair play, it’s not my place to decide. You can’t be both a participant and the referee. Our role is simple: let voters decide, and then work tirelessly to elect that Democrat.
This is not a personal decision, but a commitment to the integrity of our party’s democratic process. Our duty is to maintain a fair, transparent, and reliable process—not to manipulate the outcome.
In the coming days, I will present a series of structural reforms that formally integrate neutrality and fairness into our party rules, requiring all party officials, including myself, to remain impartial in all Democratic primaries. A clear neutrality policy protects against the abuse of power by those in leadership positions.
The summarizes it well: “A party that seeks the people’s trust must demonstrate that it trusts the people.”
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