Minnesotan Ken Martin as U.S. Democratic chief?

ST. PAUL, Minn. — – The Minnesota Democratic Party chair Ken Martin, who’s led the state party more than a decade, threw his hat in the ring to run the Democratic National Committee. Although Democrats took a bruising nationally in the 2024 election, Martin pointed to the party’s dominance in Minnesota. He called Minnesota “the last of the ‘Blue Wall’ states still standing.” Matin has been state party chair since 2011.  Now in his sixth term, Martin is the the longest-serving chair in the state party’s 75-year history. On his watch the party has become a fundraising and organizing model for other states. The party also has maintained dominance in statewide offices. Martin’s record on these campaigns is 25-0. As national Democratic chairman he would succeed Jamie Harrison of South Carolina, who is not seeking another term.

National role

Martin, age 51, has been involved with the party at high levels. In 2017 he was elected president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, which made him also vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. In 2021 Martin was unanimously re-elected president of the state chairs association. Martin has emphasized, however, that he’s not  a “D.C, insider.” He also generally avoids specifics on political issues: “For me it doesn’t really matter where I stand on any of that. My job is to make sure that we are winning elections.” He’s sees the party chair’s role more as a technician than an ideologue: “The key for a successful party chair is to get all of those various ideological wings of your party to work together.”

Political biography

Before becoming chair of the Minnesota Democratic Party, Martin worked on various campaigns. These include Governor Mark Dayton campaign in 2010 and earlier the presidential campaigns of John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.  He holds a 1996 degree in political science and history from the University of Kansas. At graduation he was honored for campus involvement for student issues and for the greater good. Martin actually had started in politics earlier. In 1990 he was as an intern for Minnesota U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone’s campaign and later interned in the Senate for Wellstone.  In 1992 Martin organized college campuses throughout the South for the Clinton-Gore campaign. After college, he was field director for the Kansas Democratic Party. In 1998, he moved back to his home state as field director for the Minnesota Democratic Party.

Lobbying

Working with the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Martin led an effort on behalf of the building trades to pass prevailing wage ordinances with local governments throughout Minnesota. In 2008 he led the campaign that passed the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. Martin later was executive director of the WIN Minnesota donor collaborative to develop, fund and direct independent expenditures during the 2010 election cycle. After the election, Martin to led a recount effort for Mark Dayton, who became Minnesota’s first Democratic governor in 24 years.

Door to door. Martin wasn’t too busy as state Democratic chair to go door-knocking for the 2024 Harris-Walz ticket.