By Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin is offering an unusually candid glimpse into the pressures of running a fractured national party.
It turns out he hates his job.
In a recent interview with Politico, Martin described the emotional toll of the position, confessing there’s “not a day that I don’t go home wanting to pull my hair out.” He called the chairmanship a “tough job,” one defined by relentless internal pressures and competing factions within the party.
Still, Martin insisted he wouldn’t trade it for anything. “Most people think I’ve got the shittiest job in America, but I feel like I’ve got the best job in America,” he told the outlet — a mix of exhaustion and conviction that mirrors the party’s own uneasy balance between turmoil and purpose.
Martin, who took the helm in February, has faced growing discontent from fellow Democrats, noted The Daily Caller.
Some Democrats have, per reports, previously blasted Martin — who was elected to his position in February — as being “whiny” and “weak.” Additionally, the DNC, which some Democrats have deemed “almost irrelevant,” has reportedly been struggling with internal conflicts and a drop in donations this year under Martin’s watch.
The DNC has been lagging behind Republicans in fundraising this year, according to reports. The organization had just $15 million in cash on hand by the end of June, significantly trailing the Republican National Committee (RNC), which reported having $80 million on hand.
David Hogg, a gun control activist elected as one of the DNC’s vice chairs in February, faced backlash from other Democrats after unveiling plans in April to unseat some incumbent Democratic lawmakers in upcoming primary elections. In June, the DNC voted to remove Hogg from his position.
A leaked recording that surfaced the same month revealed Martin expressing doubts about his effectiveness, particularly as Hogg’s insurgent push divided the party’s base.
“I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job … the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” he said.
“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin said, addressing Hogg. “And again, I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”
In August, Martin struck a darker note, warning in a strange rant that America faces “an insidious force” bent on spreading “fascism.” Yet even as he attempts to rally Democrats around that warning, frustration continues to mount among prominent party figures.
Recent polling data is probably not going to put Martin’s mind at ease. Generic ballot polling done by CNBC, which shows the party preferences of voters, shows that Democrats are only up one on the Republicans.
📊 2026 Generic Ballot poll by CNBC
🟦 Democrats: 48% [-1]
🟥 Republicans: 47% [+3]Was D+5 in August vs D+1 now
——
• @POStrategies (R) | Hart Research (D)
• October 8-12 | RVs | R40/D38/I22https://t.co/UU3mb9UKvd pic.twitter.com/e07TZ1qoZi— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 17, 2025
For context, the same poll taken during this period of Trump’s first term in 2017 showed Democrats up 10.
It’s a totally different ballgame.
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