David Hogg, DNC vice chair, to spend big to take down safe Democratic incumbents

David Hogg, a controversial Democratic National Committee vice chair, is pledging to upend Democratic primaries by funding candidates who will challenge “ineffective, asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats.

The move puts Hogg, the now 25-year-old who first gained national stature as an outspoken survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, on a collision course with his own party and some Democratic House members.

Leaders We Deserve, which Hogg co-founded in 2023, announced plans on Tuesday to spend $20 million in safe-blue Democratic primaries against sitting House members by supporting younger opponents. In an interview with POLITICO, Hogg said the group will not back primary challenges in battleground districts because “I want us to win the majority,” nor will it target members solely based on their age.

“We have a culture of seniority politics that has created a litmus test of who deserves to be here,” Hogg said. “We need people, regardless of their age, that are here to fight.”

It's an unprecedented, and controversial, move from a national officer within the Democratic Party that will enrage some insiders. Democratic Party committees, like the DNC, have traditionally not opposed incumbents in their own party, focusing instead on attacking Republicans, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is explicitly set up to protect incumbent members by providing resources, fundraising and strategy.

Hogg’s decision comes at a time when the Democratic Party is grappling with how to confront President Donald Trump — and with what kind of Democrats can be their most effective messengers against the administration. Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have faced intense pressure from base voters to ramp up their opposition to Trump’s administration.

When asked if DNC Chair Ken Martin supports his plan, Hogg said Martin “certainly has different views” on challenging incumbents.

“There are disagreements in our party about the right way to approach this moment. There are certainly disagreements we have,” Hogg said. “What I will say about Chair Martin, even if we do have disagreements, he’s doing an excellent job of building and reforming our party.”

In a statement, Martin said that “in order to ensure we are as effective as possible at electing Democrats to office, it is the DNC’s longstanding position that primary voters — not the national party — determine their Democratic candidates for the general election.”

He praised Hogg as a “passionate advocate,” adding he is grateful for his service “whether it be in his role as a DNC Vice Chair or in an outside capacity.”

A DNC aide, granted anonymity to discuss internal party dynamics, also noted that all DNC officers other than Hogg signed a “neutrality policy,” pledging to stay out of primaries in their official and personal capacity.

The New York Times first reported the news of Hogg’s decision.

Hogg burst onto the political scene as a survivor of the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in 2018 and was elected as a vice chair of the DNC in February, over the objection of moderates who complained about his history of far-left rhetoric. Traditionally, DNC vice chairs are largely ceremonial roles with little public attention and even less power. But Hogg is testing the limits of the position — and the DNC’s willingness to stomach internal dissent.

Hogg argued that backing primary challengers is in line with what he ran on for his DNC role. “I am not in this position because I want to bank my political capital. I just want change. I want to see a stronger Democratic Party,” he said.

He acknowledged “there are going to be people who are very, very upset about this” but argued Democrats “are in a crisis right now,” citing a recent CNN poll that found the party’s approval rating at 29 percent, a record low for the party.

“Our base is craving dramatic change,” Hogg said. “We need to show our base we’re here to fight for them. We need to show there are younger faces stepping up.”

But Hogg did name-check two exceptions: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is 85, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who is 80. He described them as “fighters who are delivering.”

But they’ve also both drawn generational challengers — Saikat Chakrabarti, the 39-year-old former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is running against Pelosi, and YouTube influencer Kat Abughazaleh, 26, who is running against Schakowsky. Hogg said Leaders We Deserve they would not intervene in either race.

There are other Democratic candidates, however, who are pitching themselves as generational change agents, from California to Indiana. Several Democratic operatives, granted anonymity to discuss private discussions, said they expect more primary challenges against older members in New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.