David Hogg won’t run again for DNC post, still intends to back Primary challengers to Democrats

After new elections were called for a Democratic National Committee (DNC) position held by David Hogg, the Florida activist said he won’t run for the post.

Members of the DNC held a virtual vote removing Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta as Vice Chairs for the national party, as reported by POLITICO. After the vote, Hogg posted on social media that he would step down and not seek re-election.

“Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters,” Hogg posted.

The new election call stemmed from a challenge to the outcome of elections earlier this year. But the move also took place amid controversy over Hogg’s plans for Leaders We Deserve, a PAC he launched in 2023 with Florida-based consultant Kevin Lata, to back Primary challengers of some incumbent Democrats in Congress.

Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting in 2018, said he won’t back down from intraparty challenges.

“I started Leaders We Deserve for a simple purpose: to be the Emily’s List for progressive young Democrats. We’ve sought to find the best of the best of our generation and do everything we can to help them run the best campaigns possible and get the financial support they need to win,” he posted.

“We spent millions last year fighting to elect incredible young people: Molly Cook, Mo Jenkins, Averie Bishop and Kristian Carranza in Texas; Bryce Berry and Ashwin Ramaswami in Georgia; Dante Pittman in North Carolina; Nadarius Clark in Virginia; Christine Cockley in Ohio; Sarah McBride in Delaware; Nate Douglas in Florida; Oscar De Los Santos in Arizona; and others.”

Douglas unsuccessfully challenged state Rep. Susan Plasencia, an Orlando Republican, in 2024 in an election that came down to fewer than 500 votes.

Hogg said his group focused on open Democratic seats and on challenges to Republican incumbents in 2024, but his work in politics showed him a need for greater disruption.

“After seeing a serious lack of vision from Democratic leaders, too many of them asleep at the wheel, and Democrats dying in office that have helped to hand Republicans an expanded majority, it became clear that Leaders We Deserve had to start primarying incumbents and directly challenging the culture of seniority politics that brought our party to this place to help get our party into fighting shape again,” he posted.

“We have a real challenge ahead of us. We lost voting share with almost every demographic across the board, and despite all that Trump has done, our approvals remain at 27%. If we don’t show our country how we are dramatically changing and provide an alternative vision for the future as a party, we will continue to lose.”

He noted that even if Democrats had won a three-seat majority in the 2024 U.S. House elections, that would have been erased by three longtime incumbents who died since winning re-election: Democratic U.S. Reps. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Sylvester Turner of Texas.

But Hogg said his concern isn’t simply the age of current leaders.

“This crisis of competence and complacency has already cost us an election and millions of Americans their rights. Let’s not let it cost us the country,” he posted.

“This culture simply will not change by only focusing on open seats or just throwing half a billion dollars into 30 competitive House seats. We must change the culture of our party that has brought us here and if there is anything activism or history teaches us it’s that comfortable people, especially comfortable people with power, do not change.”