Democratic National Committee

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🤫 DNC chair tries to quiet autopsy uproar

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey / Axios

🤐 NEW ORLEANS — Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin is quietly trying to quash criticism over his decision to hide the party's "autopsy" of what went wrong in the 2024 election, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Nearly four months after DNC officials announced they planned to keep the autopsy private because they wanted to focus on winning the 2026 midterms, they're still trying to contain the fallout from inside and outside the party. A DNC member told us Martin called him directly after he expressed support for releasing the still-secret report. Martin also has internally discussed releasing a short summary of the report's findings but has been unclear on the timing, according to two sources familiar with the conversations. It's unclear whether such a summary would differ from the limited takeaways the DNC released in December, which included recommendations to modernize the party's infrastructure and engage with new media. 😡 Zoom in: At the DNC's meeting here last week, a few people stood and yelled at Martin, calling on him to make the full report public. Outside the hotel where the DNC gathered, a progressive group placed a mobile billboard that read, "RELEASE THE AUTOPSY." Vinod Thomas, a DNC member from North Carolina, said Martin reached out to him shortly before last week's meeting and explained why he's keeping the report under wraps. Thomas previously had expressed concern to other DNC members about the autopsy. "I have a lot of respect for Ken," Thomas said. But "I have to respectfully disagree with him on this issue." "Transparency is a key thing that we as Democrats fight for," he added. "A lot of the Democrats back in North Carolina who put me on the DNC told me they want this thing released." Some other DNC members told us at last week's meeting that they believe Martin made the wrong call in keeping the report private and have likewise fielded complaints about it from Democrats. ✨ The other side: Asked for comment, a DNC spokesperson pointed to Martin's previous remarks about why he withheld the report, in which he said his "North Star" was winning elections. Some insiders agree with DNC leaders that the autopsy shouldn't be released because doing so could lead to unnecessary party infighting. "It was time for Democrats to move forward and focus on taking back power," longtime Democratic strategist and DNC member Maria Cardona said. Read more. — Holly Otterbein

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🥊 The fight's on for Dems' 2028 convention

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey / Axios

🚀 Democratic Party officials are launching their in-person vetting of potential 2028 convention sites this week, with trips to the finalist cities — Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia. Why it matters: The Democratic National Convention is a crucial time for the party to reach a large national audience to make its case for retaking the White House in 2028. Teams representing the contending cities already are knifing one another to try to land the event, which can bring prestige and an economic boost from tens of thousands of visitors. The intrigue: Each city has a team and allies trying to land the convention by promoting their city — and trying to undermine the others. 🗣️ Already, whisper campaigns are pointing out the potential flaws of each finalist: Atlanta doesn't have enough union hotels, Chicago hosted the convention in 2024, Boston signals "liberal elite," Denver isn't in a swing state — and Philadelphia, the 2016 host, is a reminder of the year Hillary Clinton lost the election. Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin and Alex Hornbrook, the executive director of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, are overseeing the selection process. Between the lines: Politicking, money, messaging and logistical capacity will decide which city lands the convention. There's also Democratic nostalgia — and trauma — for some cities that can affect the final choice. 🥇 Many Democrats fondly remember the 2008 convention in Denver that ultimately led to Barack Obama's victory. 🤕 Others have terrible memories associated with the 2016 convention in Philadelphia. Just before that convention, WikiLeaks posted thousands of internal DNC emails showing party officials favored Clinton over Bernie Sanders. 15 weeks later, Trump was elected president. Read more. — Alex Thompson