Ken Martin, head of the Democratic National Committee, addresses reporters after a news conference on August 05, 2025, in Aurora, Illinois.Scott Olson/Getty Images
With only a half-year remaining until the crucial midterm contests, the Democratic Party is facing difficulties in amassing funds and staying competitive with its GOP rivals, which is causing discontent among certain contributors regarding the Democratic National Committee’s governance and its leader, Ken Martin.
According to fresh filings with the Federal Election Commission, the Republican National Committee exceeded the DNC in fundraising at March’s conclusion, acquiring $21.2 million compared to $11.4 million. The RNC declared having almost eight times the available funds, with $116 million versus the DNC’s $13.8 million. Moreover, FEC records reveal that the DNC is in debt by slightly over $18 million.
However, Democrats are faring better than they were in 2018 at a similar stage in the election cycle, when the party had raised $7 million and possessed just over $9 million in accessible cash. The party also bore a debt of slightly under $6 million at that time.
Ken Martin, head of the Democratic National Committee, addresses reporters after a news conference on August 05, 2025, in Aurora, Illinois.Scott Olson/Getty Images
Numerous Democratic fundraisers, planners, and givers informed ABC News that they remain displeased with the distribution of funds during the 2024 presidential election and are annoyed by Martin’s reluctance to openly release a DNC investigation that scrutinized the Democrats’ failures in 2024.
Following Martin’s victory in his campaign to become DNC leader in 2025 after the presidential election, he pledged to conduct a review of the 2024 election and make it publicly available. However, Martin has not yet published the complete audit, instead stating that he is prioritizing future planning and has disclosed “lessons” extracted from the audit.
Democratic officials and leaders, including Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, who is in line to become the second-highest-ranking Senate Democrat following the midterms, have urged the report’s release as they prepare for the midterms.
“What information is in the report that you would prefer to keep hidden?” Jon Favreau, host of “Pod Save America” and former speechwriter for the Obama administration, questioned Martin during an episode broadcasted on April 28.
Martin responded that there was no “incriminating evidence” and that he wishes to “maintain attention on the lessons.”
A veteran DNC finance member, who spoke to ABC News anonymously, noted that many contributors are still doubting the allocation of funds during the 2024 contest and the undisclosed outcomes of the DNC’s promised audit.
The member stated that givers were disappointed that Kamala Harris did not secure a single battleground state, despite the DNC’s significant fundraising during the 2024 election. This caused apprehension regarding expenditures on paid media, community outreach, and, most concerning for numerous givers, the amount of capital allocated to consultants.
However, subsequent to the 2024 election and Martin’s assumption of control at the DNC, there has been a transition toward investments in state parties well in advance of elections, as well as in podcasts, influencers, and more contemporary forms of public relations and communication.
Cooper Teboe, a Democratic strategist operating in California, expressed to ABC News that donors are “feeling remarkably cynical, remarkably unhappy” with the DNC regarding the 2024 election, with some questioning whether their economic contributions make a difference.
“We are emerging from a period of unprecedented fundraising for Democrats that appears to have had very little impact,” Teboe remarked. “Consequently, individuals have been pondering whether their funds truly achieve anything or influence outcomes in any way.”
Mia Ehrenberg, a DNC spokesperson, stated that the party is allocating resources in methods that will assist Democrats in securing victories.
“Democrats are deploying our resources on the ground, developing infrastructure to enable victories today and in the years to come, and producing superior outcomes across the country, while Republicans are experiencing humiliating defeats despite their billionaire patrons,” Ehrenberg conveyed in a statement to ABC News.
As dissatisfaction with Martin’s performance in his role intensifies, several members have initiated the exploration of options and regulations for removing a chair, according to a source acquainted with the circumstances who spoke with ABC News. Nevertheless, the source characterized these endeavors as quite informal and centered on inquiring about the procedure.
“I do not view Ken as a leader. The DNC contacted me approximately six months ago, and I advised them to remove me from their mailing list, indicating that it would be futile to send me anything. The more they send, the less probable it becomes that they will ever regain my support,” commented a long-standing Democratic donor, who is now directing their attention to individual candidates as opposed to the national committee.
When questioned about his task of raising funds for the party on “Pod Save America,” Martin asserted that “the responsibility of the DNC chair is unique: It is to win,” adding that he has been instrumental in the party’s achievements in this domain.
Balloons fall as Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris concludes her remarks at the end of the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22, 2024.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Michael Kapp, a DNC member, conveyed his backing for Martin’s performance as chair, stating to ABC News that Martin “entered with a distinct objective to reorient the DNC toward sustained party enhancement.”
“[Ken is] investing in state parties, organizing, partisan voter registration, infrastructure … the factors that truly secure election triumphs over time,” Kapp informed ABC News via a text message.
“Based on the fundamental aspects of the role, I believe he excels. The DNC is accumulating considerable grassroots funds, even while reducing inherited debt,” Kapp also communicated.
Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s elections and government program, notified ABC News that, historically, the party lacking power faces an “arduous challenge in fundraising that is not exclusive to the present situation.”
“In all candor, throughout the years, the president has become more accustomed to amassing the substantial funds typically expected of an incumbent, a trend also observed among Democratic incumbents to a certain degree,” Weiner explained. “Consequently, we are observing the reappearance of the more conventional pattern where the governing party simply accumulates significantly more funds than the party not in power.”
A long-tenured DNC finance member indicated that discontent with the DNC has prompted donors to concentrate on “individual elections rather than the DNC as an entity.”
While the national party encounters difficulty in securing funds, individual Democratic candidates are receiving substantial cash infusions in anticipation of November’s midterm elections, as givers demonstrate heightened interest in investing in particular candidates.
Numerous prominent Senate candidates from the Democratic Party declared advantageous fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2026, considerably surpassing their Republican counterparts, according to FEC submissions.
“I suspect that individuals are eagerly seeking fresh leadership and perspectives within the party, and this may explain the reduced fundraising by the party infrastructure. Donors, both affluent individuals and grassroots supporters, desire to observe potential leaders who can shape the future of the Democratic message, and they believe that the DNC may not necessarily provide them,” Teboe stated.
An experienced Democratic official who is in communication with contributors and party leaders informed ABC News that, although many significant donors are disheartened by the outcome of the recent election, an increasing number are anticipated to participate actively and contribute more generously to various Democratic candidates and organizations throughout the summer and autumn.
“Donors can be unpredictable,” she conveyed to ABC News.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com