Democratic National Committee (DNC)
Basic facts
Location:	Washington, D.C.
Type:	Democratic
Top official:	Ken Martin
Year founded:	1848
Website:	Official website

Party Committees

Democratic National Committee (DNC) •Republican National Committee (RNC)

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) •National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) •National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)

Fundraising2025-2026 •2023-2024 •2021-2022 •2019-2020 •2018

Leadership elections2025 •2023

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal governing organization of theDemocratic Party of the United States.

The DNC is responsible for overseeing the process of writing and promoting the party platform every four years and providing national leadership surrounding campaign, fundraising, political activity, and election strategy.

The DNC is made up of the chairs and vice chairs of each state Democratic Party and more than 200 elected members from all 50 states, theDistrict of Columbia, and the territories.^[1][2]

The main counterpart of the DNC is theRepublican National Committee (RNC).

To read about the DNC's recent political activity,click here. To read about the DNC's recent fundraising reports,click here.

About party committees

See also:Party committee fundraising, 2025-2026

Both Democrats and Republicans have three major party committees. The national committee's purpose involves oversight of the presidential nominating process as well as supporting party candidates with research, polling and funding in races across the country. Each party also has two Hill committees, one each for the House and Senate, which are dedicated to helping elect candidates from their party to Congress and helping incumbents win re-election.

These six committees were each among the top 15 spenders in the 2024 congressional elections with a combined $2.3 billion in spending. As of November 30, 2025, the six committees associated with the Democratic and Republican Parties reported raising a combined $650 million during the 2026 election cycle.

Leadership

National party leadership

Below is a list of the national leadership of theDemocratic Party, as of January 2026:^[3]

2025 chair election

See also:Democratic and Republican Party committee leadership elections, 2025

Ken Martin won the election for chairman of the Democratic National Committee on February 1, 2025, at the party's winter meeting.^[4][5]

Incumbent ChairmanJaime Harrison did not seek re-election as chairman.^[6][7] Nine individuals announced their candidacy for DNC chair:

• Quintessa Hathaway, 2022 candidate forArkansas' 2nd Congressional District, announced her candidacy on January 6, 2025. Hathaway's campaign issued a statement saying, "A 2022 Democratic Nominee for Congress (AR-02) and educator, Dr. Quintessa Hathaway, has joined the race for Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair to lead the Party in that fight."^[8]
• Robert Houton, a 2024 U.S. Senate candidate in Maryland, announced his candidacy on December 1, 2024. In a letter, Houton said he wanted to, "lead and grow our Democratic party to champion electoral and transformative, legacy victories in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and beyond."^[9]
• Jonathan Jackson, U.S. representative from Illinois, announced his candidacy on January 6, 2025. In an interview withABC 7 Chicago, Jackson said, "I've been involved in campaigns, actually, for the last 40 years, since 1984 to 2024, I've seen the growth of the party. I've seen the change of the parties. I've got a lot of relationships across the country. But I started seeing the wheels come off of the of the cart, if you will, during the presidential election."^[10]
• Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic Party, announced his candidacy on November 19, 2024. In a video, Martin said, "When I'm traveling around the country, most people I chat with want the same things. To stay ahead on their bills, to give their families a better life, and to live in safe and healthy communities. That's exactly what Democrats stand for. But we need to reconnect our ideas [...] back to our party and to our candidates."^[11]
• Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, announced his candidacy on November 18, 2024. In an interview withThe New York Times, O'Malley said, "I believe that in order for us to rebuild and win elections, we have to be entirely focused on winning elections. Because if we don’t win, everybody loses. We have to engage in the economic arguments as to why the choices that we are making are better for Americans all over the country."^[12]
• Jason Paul, an executive member of the Newton, Massachusetts, Democratic City Committee, announced his candidacy on December 5, 2024. In a statement, Paul said, "I’m asking DNC members, and my fellow Democrats, to expand their understanding of what’s possible. We must switch from tweaking the status quo to a moonshot mindset—what is it going to take to build a durable Democratic majority in this country? And then we need to do that."^[13]
• Faiz Shakir, the campaign manager forBernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign, announced his candidacy on January 15, 2025. In an interview withThe New York Times, Shakir said, "We are rebuilding trust with people who don’t believe the Democratic Party has been there when it matters most to them."^[14]
• Nate Snyder, a former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, announced his candidacy on December 10, 2024. Snyder's website said, "We need to reinvigorate our imaginations to develop solutions to the new landscape we face as a party. And, we must listen more. For years, our Labor allies, working families, and communities have been vocal about tripwires indicating shifts we now see as reality. Doubling down on more of the same or working harder will not get the job done."^[15]
• Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, announced his candidacy on December 1, 2024. In a statement, Wikler said, "Today, the country we love needs the Democratic Party to be stronger. To unite. To fight. And to win. In Wisconsin, we run a permanent campaign. We organize and communicate year-round, in every community—and it works. We've ended GOP control and unrigged our state. What has made a difference here can make a difference everywhere."^[16]
• Marianne Williamson, an author and 2024 presidential candidate, announced her candidacy on December 26, 2024. Williamson wrote, "MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit. Data analysis, fundraising, field organizing, and beefed-up technology — while all are important — will not be enough to prepare the way for Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond. That’s why I have decided to run for DNC Chair this year."^[17]

The following candidates withdrew:

• James Skoufis, aNew York State Senator representing District 42, announced his candidacy on November 30, 2024. Skoufis withdrew on January 16, 2025, and endorsed O'Malley.^[18][19]

The DNC held candidate forums ahead of the election for chair. The following forums took place:

2017 chair election

Main article:Democratic National Committee chair election, 2017

On the weekend of February 24, 2017, the more than 400 members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) elected former Labor SecretaryTom Perez to succeed interim ChairwomanDonna Brazile.^[20] Brazile took over the position after former chairwomanDebbie Wasserman Schultz resigned during the 2016 elections. At that time, leaked emails appeared to show Wasserman Schultz and DNC officials strategizing to promoteHillary Clinton's presidential campaign and hurt rivalBernie Sanders.

Other candidates for the position included CongressmanKeith Ellison (D-Minn.),Idaho Democratic Party executive directorSally Boynton Brown, mayor ofSouth Bend, Indiana,Pete Buttigieg, and political strategist Jehmu Greene.^{[21][22][23][24]}

New Hampshire Democratic Party ChairmanRaymond Buckley was in the running but dropped out on February 18, 2017, to endorse Ellison.^[25] On February 23, 2017,South Carolina Democratic Party ChairmanJaime Harrison dropped out of the race and endorsed Perez.^[26]

Perez and Ellison were the front-runners in the race.^[27] Perez received endorsements from a number of Obama administration officials, including former Vice PresidentJoe Biden, former Attorney GeneralEric Holder, former Secretary of AgricultureTom Vilsack, and former Health and Human Services SecretaryKathleen Sebelius. Ellison was backed by 2016 presidential candidate and U.S. Sen.Bernie Sanders, as well as U.S. Sens.Elizabeth Warren andChuck Schumer and U.S. Rep.John Lewis.^[28]

Historical chairpersons

Below is a historical list of past and present chairpersons of theDemocratic National Committee (DNC). Click "show" on the box below to view the full list.^[29]

State party leadership

Below is a list of state chairpersons of theDemocratic National Committee, as of January 2026.^[30] Click "show" on the box below to view the full list.

Democratic Party platform and policy stances

Platform

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) drafts a party platform every four years. The party platform is a written document that outlines the Democratic Party's policy priorities and positions on domestic and foreign affairs. The platform also describes the party's core concepts and beliefs.

2024

See also:The Democratic Party Platform, 2024

2020

See also:The Democratic Party Platform, 2020

2016

See also:The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016

2012

See also:The Democratic Party Platform, 2012

2008

See also:The Democratic Party Platform, 2008

Policy issues

In addition to the party platform, the DNC lists the following key policy issues on its website. Click "show" on the boxes below for more information about the issues.

Election activity

2026 elections

Expenditures

The following table displays the DNC's top committee disbursements during the 2026 election cycle as of November 30, 2025.^[46]

2024 elections

Expenditures

The following table displays the DNC's top committee disbursements during the 2024 election cycle.^[47]

2022 elections

Expenditures

The following table displays the DNC's top 10 committee disbursements in 2021-2022.^[48]

2020 elections

Strategy for the 2020 general election

FollowingSen.Bernie Sanders' (I) suspension of his presidential campaign, leavingJoe Biden (D) as the presumptive Democratic nominee, DNC chairmanTom Perez released a memo outlining the party's strategy for the general election. Perez described the DNC's plan as "the most expansive campaign infrastructure the DNC has ever had for a non-incumbent presidential candidate in modern political history". The plan included spending on organizing in 12 battleground states and on communications spending in six states, as well as a rework of the group's data storage and sharing structures.^[49]

2018 elections

DNC planned to target 50 million voters in 2018

The Democratic National Committee announced its plans to contact 50 million voters before the November 2018 elections on February 28, 2018. Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement the effort "translates activism and marches into committing to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot this November and is designed to reach voters and communities across the country with new innovative tools and technologies, key partnerships, and online and on-the-ground organizing strategies."^[50]

The DNC called the program ""IWillVote" and said it set the Democratic Party's most ambitious goal in a midterm election, according toNBC.^[50] NBC also stated the program's strategy "will consist of new branding and content, tools and technologies, a voter hotline, online ads, and on-the-ground organizing — all with the aim of getting people to commit early to voting and then following through with them to ensure they register and ultimately turn out."^[50]

2017 elections

U.S. Senate special election in Alabama

See also:United States Senate special election in Alabama, 2017

The DNC and theDSCC offered support toDoug Jones (D) in his campaign againstRoy Moore (R) for the special election to fill an open U.S. Senate seat in Alabama. In November 2017, after allegations that Moore pursued four women when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his 30s,Politico reported on the DNC's involvement in the race, writing, "The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and DNC have remained in close touch with Jones’ team after monitoring the race for months and offering organizing and messaging guidance. But neither has made plans to step in any further, eager to keep the spotlight on Moore and away from themselves."^[51]

Jones defeated Moore 49.9 percent to 48.4 percent in the December 12, 2017, election.^[52]HuffPost reported on December 13 that the DNC sent staff to the state to help mobilize black and millennial voters and that it spent close to $1 million to help the Jones campaign. The DSCC also had staff on the ground and spent the maximum allowable $366,700 on support for Jones. "We've had a team there throughout," DNC chairTom Perez toldMSNBC. "Frankly from before the Republican primary. We've been all in for a long time. We invested in organizing.We invested in digital work. We were out there helping to run programs that turn out voters."^[53]

Every ZIP code counts initiative

According toMcClatchy DC, the DNC's major initiative for 2017, which was started by ChairmanTom Perez and Associate ChairJaime Harrison, was called "Every ZIP code Counts." The program supplied each state party with $10,000 per month so long as the state party did an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses for its internal operations. The initiative also refocused Democratic Party efforts in the South and the West. At the request of Perez, Harrison spent much of 2017 working in Southern and Western states to assess Democratic infrastructure and outreach, including time in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Montana, and Utah.^[54]

2016 elections

See also:Democratic National Convention, 2016

See also:2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

Hillary Clinton post-election comments

On May 31, 2017, former 2016Democratic presidential nomineeHillary Clinton criticized the DNC's preparation and approach to her 2016 presidential campaign. According to CNN, Clinton claimed that, at the time, the DNC lacked financial resources, had inadequate data, and struggled to manage the impact of outside events on the election, such as the investigation into her private email server.^[55]

"I'm now the nominee of the Democratic Party. I inherit nothing from the Democratic Party," said Clinton. "It was bankrupt, it was on the verge of insolvency, its data was mediocre to poor, non-existent, wrong. I had to inject money into it -- the DNC -- to keep it going."^[55]

In response to Clinton's claims, former DNC Director of Data Science Andrew Therriault defended the DNC via Twitter and encouraged the DNC data team members to "realize your work was worth way more than you're being given credit for." He observed that the DNC data team had advised Clinton of the potential vulnerability of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but that Clinton's campaign team had dismissed the warnings. Former DNC staffers John Hagner and Tom Bonier also weighed in, claiming that "the data operation Clinton 'inherited' was the most robust data operation the DNC has ever seen" and that the DNC data "was accurate and up-to-date."^[56]

Donna Brazile comments on DNC fundraising with Clinton

In November 2017,Donna Brazile, who took over as acting chair of the DNC during and after the 2016 convention, published the bookHacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House. In the book, she criticizes the DNC for agreeing to a joint fundraising agreement withHillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Brazile described the fundraising agreement, writing, "Individuals who had maxed out their $2,700 contribution limit to the campaign could write an additional check for $353,400 to the Hillary Victory Fund—that figure represented $10,000 to each of the 32 states’ parties who were part of the Victory Fund agreement—$320,000—and $33,400 to the DNC. The money would be deposited in the states first, and transferred to the DNC shortly after that. Money in the battleground states usually stayed in that state, but all the other states funneled that money directly to the DNC, which quickly transferred the money to Brooklyn [where Clinton's campaign had its headquarters]."^[57]

Pennsylvania Gov. and former DNC chairEd Rendell questioned the timing of the revelations. "The timing [of the book publication] couldn't have been worse. It does us no good to hash out all this stuff. At this point, we should be looking to the future - what's done is done. There was no crime committed, but it would've been easy to avoid. [So] I don't think it [the primary] was rigged, I think what the DNC did was just awful," he said. "But we should stop talking about it; it's passed. We can't adjudicate it now, let's focus on the elections Tuesday [November 7, 2017] and on going forward. There can't be any positive that comes from it [talking about the revelations]."^[58]

Brazile also criticized former DNC chairDebbie Wasserman Schultz for her management style, writing, "My predecessor, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, had not been the most active chair in fundraising at a time when President Barack Obama’s neglect had left the party in significant debt. As Hillary’s campaign gained momentum, she resolved the party’s debt and put it on a starvation diet. It had become dependent on her campaign for survival, for which she expected to wield control of its operations. Debbie was not a good manager. She hadn’t been very interested in controlling the party—she let Clinton’s headquarters in Brooklyn do as it desired so she didn’t have to inform the party officers how bad the situation was."^[57]

Wasserman Schultz declined to respond to the allegations directly in November 2017, tellingCBS Miami, "My focus, which is what my constituents elected me to do, is to make sure that I can fight for the things they care about." "The specifics I'm happy to give you," she said, "is that we need to move forward and fight Donald Trump and the Republican congressional agenda."^[59]

DNC email leak

See also:Democratic National Committee email leak andDNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigns

On July 22, 2016, just prior to the start of theDemocratic National Convention, the website Wikileaks released nearly 20,000 leaked DNC emails.The Washington Post reported that the emails, which consisted of correspondence between former DNC ChairDebbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and other DNC officials, revealed that Wasserman Schultz and the DNC "tried to aid [Hillary] Clinton and hamper [Bernie] Sanders."^[60]

ThePost reported that the emails included a proposal to publicly raise the issue of Bernie Sanders' religion and a reference to Sanders' campaign manager as a liar. They also questioned Sanders' loyalty to the party, saying that he "has no understanding of what we [in the Democratic Party] do."^[61]

Some emails proposed to publicly announce that the Sanders "never ever had his act together, that his campaign was a mess," and others highlighted the DNC's push for fewer debates.^[61] Sanders stated, "I mean, there's no question to my mind and I think no question to any objective observer's mind that the DNC was supporting Hillary Clinton, and was at opposition to our campaign."^[62]

Following the release of the emails, Wasserman Schultz was dropped as a speaker at the convention. In a statement, Wasserman Schultz said she would step down from her position at the end of the convention, adding, "[w]e have planned a great and unified Convention this week and I hope and expect that the DNC team that has worked so hard to get us to this point will have the strong support of all Democrats in making sure this is the best convention we have ever had.”^[63][64][65]

DNC Vice ChairwomanDonna Brazile served as interim chair and Rep.Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) served as permanent chair of the convention.^[66]

Conventions

2024 Democratic National Convention

See also:Democratic National Convention, 2024

The Democratic National Convention took place inChicago, Illinois, from August 19-22, 2024.^[67]

The national nominating convention is typically the formal ceremony during which the party selects its nominee and adopts a party platform. The delegates are individuals chosen to represent their state or territory at the convention. Delegates voted to certify a new party platform on August 19, 2024.^[68]

In 2024, theDemocratic National Committee certified Vice PresidentKamala Harris (D) as the party's nominee during a virtual roll call vote on August 2, 2024.^{[69][70][71][72][73]}

2020 Democratic National Convention

See also:Democratic National Convention, 2020

See also:Important dates in the 2020 presidential race

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) held its presidential nominating convention the week of August 17, 2020, across four stages inNew York City,Los Angeles,Milwaukee, andWilmington.^[74][75]

The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020, in Milwaukee.^[76] Organizers postponed the event in response to thecoronavirus pandemic.

Most of the convention's events took place remotely. The DNC announced in June 2020 that delegates should not plan to travel to Milwaukee to attend the convention.^[77] Instead, votes on reports from the Rules,Platform, and Credentials committees took place remotely from August 3-15, 2020.^[78]

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced on August 5, 2020, that former Vice PresidentJoe Biden (D) and other speakers would not travel to Milwaukee.^[79] Biden was formally nominated at the convention on August 18, 2020.^[80]

Biden announced U.S. Sen.Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020.^[81] Harris was the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.^[82]

The convention was originally scheduled to be held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. It was moved to the Wisconsin Center in response to the coronavirus pandemic.^[77]

2016 Democratic National Convention

See also:Democratic National Convention, 2016

See also:2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

The 2016 Democratic National Convention took place inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center from July 25 to July 28, 2016.^[83]

Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) ChairwomanDebbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) told reporters in February 2015 that Philadelphia was chosen because of its logistics, security, and resources.

"The fact that there are 18,500 hotel rooms within a 15 minute walk of the arena, the Wells Fargo arena, the fact that you would have an opportunity for delegates to be coming back and forth and interacting very cohesively in Philadelphia was a big strength of theirs," said Wasserman Schultz.^[84]

Hillary Clinton nomination

See also:Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic presidential nomination and makes history

Hillary Clinton became theDemocratic presidential nominee and the first female nominee of a major political party on July 26, 2016, with the support of 2,842 DNC delegates. In order to win the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, a candidate needed to win 2,383 delegates at the Democratic National Convention. There were expected to be 4,765 delegates at the convention.^[85]

Fundraising

In December 2014, the DNC filed paperwork with theFEC to establish a fundraising committee for the convention. The committee was filed under the name "Democratic National Convention Committee 2016."^[86]

Historical Democratic National Conventions

Below is a historical list of Democratic National Conventions organized by the Democratic National Committee:^[87]

Subsidiaries of the DNC

The following organizations operate as subsidiaries of the Democratic National Committee:

Democratic Governors Association

See also:Democratic Governors Association

The Democratic Governors Association has the following mission statement:

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

See also:Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has the following mission statement:

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

See also:Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has the following mission statement:

The Association of State Democratic Chairs

See also:Association of State Democratic Chairs

The Association of State Democratic Chairs has the following mission statement:

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

See also:Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has the following mission statement:

Finances

Annual overview

The following table identifies total annual federal receipts and disbursements for the DNC according to reports filed with theFederal Election Commission:^[90]

2026 election cycle

See also:Party committee fundraising, 2025-2026

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2025-26 election cycle:

2024 election cycle

See also:Party committee fundraising, 2023-2024

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2023-24 election cycle:

2022 election cycle

See also:Party committee fundraising, 2021-2022

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2021-22 election cycle:

2020 election cycle

See also:Party committee fundraising, 2019-2020

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2019-20 election cycle:

2018 election cycle

See also:Fundraising in Congressional elections, 2018

TheDemocratic National Committee (DNC) reported the following fundraising amounts for the 2017-18 election cycle:

Noteworthy events

Unity Reform Commission recommendations, 2017-2018

On December 9, 2017,Politico reported that the DNC's Unity Reform Commission, a 21-member commission aimed at modifying the DNC's nominating process following the 2016 presidential primaries, recommended reducing the number of superdelegates by 400, or roughly 60 percent. According to a May 2016 analysis by the Pew Research Center, the DNC had more than 700 superdelegates. The commission also recommended that the votes of many of the remaining superdelegates be tied to the election results in their respective states.^[91][92][93]

In addition to changes to the superdelegate process, the commission called on state parties to improve access to absentee voting, same-day voter registration, and same-day party affiliation changes. The commission also recommended that state parties institute the use of written ballots at caucuses in order to facilitate recounts.^[92]

"We are incredibly proud of the work this commission has undertaken since May to ensure that our party's presidential nominating process is far more inclusive and brings new people into the party," said Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and Larry Cohen, chair and vice chair of the commission. "This includes reducing the number of unpledged delegates or 'superdelegates' by nearly 60%, and making our caucuses and primaries more accessible, transparent and accurate."^[92]

On March 10, 2018, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to “revise the role and ­reduce the perceived influence” of superdelegates ahead of the 2020 presidential election.^[94] The details of how this would be done were not addressed and, according to the Associated Press, would be taken up when the committee met in the summer of 2018.^[95]

In June 2018, the Rules and Bylaws Committee considered plans that would prohibit superdelegates from voting on the first ballot if no nominee had been predetermined by the pledged delegate count. The committee also voted to require presidential candidates to affirm in writing that they were members of the Democratic Party. Mark Longabaugh, an advisor to the 2016 Sanders campaign, criticized the latter resolution, saying, "I’m just stunned that the Democratic Party’s rules committee would want to try to make the Democratic Party an exclusive club, for which we want to exclude voters and large segments of the American electorate.”^[96][97]

On July 17, the Unity Reform Commission voted to advance the rule that superdelegates would no longer be allowed to vote on the first ballot.

“It’s the most democratic and equitable option,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez said. “No candidate will be able to build an accumulated lead, whether perceived or real, before a vote has been cast.”

The Commission also voted to advance a rule directing the Budget and Finance Committee to review the DNC budget. Unlike an earlier version of the rule, the one that advanced would not permit the DNC's full membership to review the Committee's full report.

Commission member James Zogby criticized the budget rule change, saying, “We should not wait until a reporter writes a story or Donna Brazile writes a book to find out we have problems. If the only reports we get, as DNC members, are how much we raised and how much we owe, that’s not transparency.”^[98]

On August 13,Congressional Black Caucus ChairmanCedric Richmond (D-La.) wrote a letter to Perez criticizing the proposal to prohibit superdelegates from voting on the first ballot. He said, “There should be enough room in the process to include the perspective of local party activists and officials, and Members of Congress. One group should not be harmed at the expense of the other.”^[99]

At the conclusion of the 2018 national convention on August 25, party officials voted to adopt the measure banning superdelegates from voting on the first ballot at a contested national convention.^[100] According toPolitico, this change makes candidate connections to superdelegates much less significant in presidential campaigns. If a candidate earned enough pledged delegates from state primaries and caucuses to win the party nomination, superdelegates will still be allowed to vote on the first ballot at a national convention.^[100]

Fair pay lawsuit, 2017-2018

Justin Swidler, aNew Jersey-based attorney, filed a class action lawsuit in May 2017 on behalf of a group of 40 to 50Democratic field organizers against theDemocratic National Committee (DNC) and six stateDemocratic parties, including theDemocratic Party of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleges that the groups violated federal and state laws by denying field workers minimum wage earnings and overtime compensation throughout the 2016 presidential election. According to CBS News' Philadelphia affiliate, Swidler said that "the lawsuit seeks 'fair pay for fair work,' and holding the Democratic Party to the very ideals that it embraces."^[101][102]

The DNC filed a motion to dismiss the case in late May 2017. The group stated that, though the field organizers worked on behalf of the party, they were not actually DNC staff.^[103]

"While the DNC was not the employer in this case, the DNC follows all employment and wage laws to make sure that everyone who works a full time job receives a fair wage," DNC spokesman Michael Tyler told Fox News.^[103]

According to a release from Swidler's law firm, Swartz Swidler, LLC, the district court hearing the case ruled on November 29, 2017, that it did not have jurisdiction over state parties other than the Pennsylvania party. The other parties were dropped from the suit and the case proceeded against the DNC and the Pennsylvania party.^[104]

On February 1, 2018, theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissed the case.^[105]

Fraud lawsuit, 2016-2019

In June 2016, Jared Beck, a graduate of Harvard Law School, filed a class action lawsuit inFlorida against the DNC and former DNC ChairwomanDebbie Wasserman Schultz on behalf of supporters of 2016Democratic presidential candidateBernie Sanders in 45 states. The lawsuit alleged that the DNC violated Article 5, Section 4 of the DNC charter, the impartiality clause, by fixing the 2016Democratic presidential primaries and misappropriating funds in favor ofHillary Clinton. According toNewsweek, the lawsuit charged the DNC "with fraud, deceptive conduct and negligent misrepresentation over the course of the 2016 primaries."^[106][107]

The DNC worked to have the case dismissed, first arguing that the lawsuit was improperly filed. The lawsuit was refiled on September 2, 2016, after which the DNC argued that the group can nominate a candidate of its choosing and is not legally required to remain neutral throughout the primary process.^[106][107]

"We could have voluntarily decided that, 'Look, we're gonna go into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate that way,'" argued DNC attorney Bruce Spiva during a hearing on April 25, 2017. "That's not the way it was done. But they could have. And that would have also been their right."^[108]

JudgeWilliam Zloch of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed the lawsuit on August 25, 2017. In his ruling, Zloch stated:^[109]

Beck appealed JudgeZloch's ruling on September 8, 2017. TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the amended complaint and allowed the appeal to proceed on January 10, 2018.^[110][111]

On February 20, 2018, the DNC filed a response brief in which they argued that if the Court agreed with Beck, it would "run directly contrary to long-standing Supreme Court precedent recognizing the central and critical First Amendment rights enjoyed by political parties, especially when it comes to selecting the party’s nominee for public office."^[112]

Arguments were heard before the Eleventh Circuit on December 11, 2018.^[113] On October 28, 2019, a three-judge panel dismissed the suit,ruling that the plaintiffs did not have standing.^[114]

Voter database lawsuit, 2015

See also:Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, 2016

On December 18, 2015, SenatorBernie Sanders filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee after the DNC temporarily restricted hiscampaign’s access to the party’s voter database following reports several Sanders staffers had inappropriately accessed Hillary Clinton’s private voter data. Sanders and the DNC announced on December 19, 2015, that an agreement had been reached and Sanders’ access to the voter database would be restored. While Sanders’ campaign claimed the party committee had “capitulated,” the DNC maintained they would continue to investigate the incident.^[115][116]

Petition blocking lawsuit, 2007

On October 30, 2007,Ralph Nader filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Washington, D.C. against the DNC, arguing that it had worked together with a variety of co-defendants, including America Coming Together, to bring "groundless and abusive litigation" against Nader's 2004petition drives for ballot access in order to bankrupt Nader's campaign and remove him from the ballot in 18 states.^[117]

Vote buying and voter registration probe, 2004

In 2004, the DNC was involved in a voting fraud probe inNew York andFlorida. TheNew York Daily News reported that over 46,000 people were illegally registered by DNC workers, primarily inNew York City andFlorida.^[118] In addition, Today's TMJ 4 (WTMJ-TV) of Milwaukee, WI, the local NBC affiliate, filmed Democratic campaign workers handing out small amounts of money and free food to residents at a home for the mentally ill inKenosha, Wisconsin. The patients were then shepherded into a separate room and given absentee ballots. A DNC worker fled when she saw the camera from WTMJ-TV.^[119]

See also

• Democratic Party
• The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• State Democratic parties
• Republican Party
• Republican National Committee

External links

• Democratic National Committee
  • DNC on YouTube
  • DNC on Twitter
  • DNC on Facebook
• Democratic Senate Caucus
• Democratic House Caucus
• DSCC: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
• Democratic Governors Association
• Democratic Attorneys General Association
• National Federation of Democratic Women
• College Democrats of America
• Young Democrats of America
• Democrats Abroad
• Progressive Democrats of America
• C-SPAN, "History of the Democratic Party"

Footnotes

v • e Influencers Main What is an influencer?Contact the Ballotpedia team

v • e Party committees Democratic committees DNC (Democratic National Committee) •DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) •DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) Republican committees RNC (Republican National Committee) •NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) •NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) Fundraising overviews 2018 •2019-2020 •2021-2022 •2023-2024 •2025-2026 Leadership elections 2023 •2025