DNC selects Ken Martin as the committee’s new chair

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) says Democrats must fight for working people and against President Donald Trump.

Democrats elected 51-year-old Ken Martin as the National Chair on the first ballot.

He's from Minnesota, where he was the leader of the state democratic party organization.

Saturday's vote took place in suburban Washington, D.C., where more than 400 DNC members from every state and U.S. territory gathered for the party's winter meeting.

Martin stressed the need for party unity:

"We have one fight. The fight's not in here. The fight's out there, right? The fight's not in here. The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country. That's the fight - not in here.

We have to rebuild our coalition. We have to ignore the noise. We have to focus with intensity on the goal ahead, which is winning elections to improve people's lives.

We need to go on offense. Trump's first weeks have shown us that what happens when amateur hour meets demolition derby, right? And at the same time, he's invited all of these billionaires into the Oval Office to mine, extract and profit off of our government. This is our time. Right now. It's the people's government. It's not another resource for ultra-elites to exploit.

We're going to get to work. We're going to fight. We're going to go out there and take this fight to Donald Trump and the Republicans. And we're going to fight for working people again in this party. Thank you Democrats, thank you so much! It's the honor of my life!"

After the DNC selected Martin as their new chair, two members of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) shared their reaction respectively:

"I know firsthand how critical it is to invest in state legislatures to protect our democracy and deliver real results for working families, and I'm thrilled to congratulate Ken Martin on his election as our new DNC chair. Ken has a deep understanding of the importance of state power and knows this is no time to pump the brakes as we chart a course through these uncertain times. The work we do together in state legislatures will be the foundation of the Democratic Party's future. If we invest in these races, we will build a stronger, more resilient movement that can stand up to any challenge."

Andrea Stewart-Cousins, DLCC Board Chair and New York Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader

"I'm thrilled to welcome Ken Martin as the new chair of the Democratic National Committee. This role is no small task, and Ken brings just the experience to meet this moment. The DLCC is excited to partner with Ken to ensure our party's strategy invests in a strong foundation in the states to help Democrats win up and down the ballot. The DLCC is ready to partner with the DNC to chart our party's path forward and to lead our country forward."

Heather Williams, DLCC President