DIY v DNC

Mention the Democratic National Committee in grassroots political circles and you’re likely to immediately raise the temperature of the conversation. For progressives especially, the DNC has become a symbol of everything that is wrong with the party.

I’m not here to go through the long history of the DNC and this inter-party fight. But, let me jump back to one of the big flashpoints: 2016.

While I have a ton of respect for Hillary Clinton — and had a great interview with her way back in college which I will find time to write about some day — I was solidly behind Bernie Sanders in that Dem primary.

When Sanders lost that hard-fought primary and the Russians hacked and released DNC emails, there’s no doubt that the refueled fight it caused helped Trump win.

Contrary to many Sanders supporters, I didn’t see quite the DNC vast conspiracy they did. Some questionable actions, but, primarily the personal opinions of individual DNC members who were pro-Clinton in a party that was largely rebuilt by the Clintons in the 90s.

But, that was then and this is now. And post ’24 the DNC has imploded on a number of fronts, including their finances. From USA Today:

The Democratic Party has burned through more than $207 million since the start of 2025 - keeping people on staff during non-presidential election years, sending money to state parties to organize campaigns, and paying off millions in credit card bills.

The spending is so extensive that at the end of June, some four months before the Nov. 3 election that will decide control of Congress, the Democratic National Committee reported having $2.2 million less than it needed to pay off its growing debt.

Chairman Ken Martin wrote in a blog post that he raised a lot of money and that the spending is all part of a strategic plan to win smaller local races and build the Democratic Party’s power from the ground up.

There may be some truth in Martin’s spending claim. But the current problems in the DNC go far beyond that. While I haven’t followed it super-closely, the battle between the establishment and progressive wings of the party has intensified — typified by the ouster of young activist David Hogg.

Hogg won election as a vice chair of the DNC. And while I won’t get into the weeds on the fight that happened next, it sparked a bigger battle that Martin won — basically kicking Hogg out of the DNC.

To say it was a bad look is an understatement. The Democratic Party desperately needs young leadership and real representation to the ascendant progressive wing of the party. The bottom line? There are big tents and there are big fights that need to be had. But, that fight needs to happen after (and if) we get through November. And it will.

In the meantime, I feel no need to give the DNC any of my limited resources, and you shouldn’t either. Especially not to pay down their debt and make questionable candidate spending choices.

Back in 2018 when I ran a congressional campaign we couldn’t get a dime from the DNC. And I totally got it, ours was a virtually unwinnable seat in Michigan’s deep red Thumb. But I’m quite sure that there are winnable swing districts in ’26 that the DNC won’t (or can’t) spend in.

There are (and will be more) progressive grassroots organizations targeting those seats. Donate through them, not the DNC. Or to those individual campaigns themselves.

In the next week I’m going to be compiling some of those groups in an ongoing article that links to them and select candidates. I’ll need a snappy graphic too, because you’ll be seeing it shared a lot. Apologies in advance.

And also know that there will be moderates in some of the most winnable districts that need our help — and we need to give it to them. As Will Rogers famously said: I’m not a member of any organized political party…. I’m a Democrat.

There will be time to organize the Democratic Party for the future. But, the most important thing to organize for now — above all else — it to win.

PS — If you’re following any grassroots orgs compiling candidates to support, let me know and I’ll add them!

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