The Democratic National Committee is drawing a bright, unforgiving line in the sand—and David Hogg, one of the party’s youngest rising stars and most polarizing voices, is standing right on top of it.
According to internal sources, DNC Chair Ken Martin is expected to announce a sweeping rule change that would force all party officers to remain neutral in every Democratic primary—not just presidential races. And while the rule isn’t officially titled “The David Hogg Amendment,” let’s not pretend we don’t know who this is aimed at. It’s targeted, it’s strategic, and it’s meant to send a message: if you want to lead inside the DNC, you don’t get to play kingmaker in the primaries.
For Hogg, this sets up an unavoidable choice. Step away from Leaders We Deserve—the organization he co-founded, which is preparing to spend $20 million on primary challenges to “ineffective” Democrats—or give up his DNC vice chair seat. He can’t do both. Not anymore.
It’s almost like electing a grifting activist turned failed pillow salesman as vice chair of your party isn’t a good idea. https://t.co/hDgo3RXr5S
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) April 24, 2025
Let’s rewind. Hogg burst onto the national stage in 2018 as a teenage survivor of the Parkland school shooting. He quickly became one of the most high-profile gun control activists in the country. But activism isn’t always polite, and Hogg brought his hard-edged energy into the Democratic machine.
Last week, he reignited old tensions by announcing that Leaders We Deserve would fund challengers to safe-seat Democrats he views as “asleep at the wheel.” The backlash was immediate and fierce. Party leaders—already bracing for a high-stakes 2026 election—accused Hogg of turning intra-party politics into a “circular firing squad.” Many saw it as an ill-timed purity test when the party desperately needs cohesion.
Ken Martin’s move is as much about discipline as it is about principle. For years, state parties and national leaders have debated how to maintain unity without suppressing grassroots energy. Hogg just forced their hand. The proposed rule change, expected to be voted on at the DNC’s August meeting, would codify that party officers can’t engage in primary warfare—period.
As Jane Kleeb of the Association of State Democratic Parties framed it, “This isn’t about David. This is about a bigger reform package.” That may be true structurally, but make no mistake: Hogg is the catalyst. He lit the fuse.
Hogg has already said he’ll fight to stay in his post. But in quieter conversations, he’s acknowledged that he might lose—and he seems at peace with that. It’s a high-risk move, betting that his influence outside the DNC might be more powerful than whatever he can do from within its procedural confines.
