2 weeks Ago By Falyn Stempler
A young liberal activist is shaking up the political landscape by championing an influx of "fresh" faces in Congress . Democratic National Convention Vice Chair David Hogg, 25, has ruffled feathers within his own Democratic Party after declaring his intention to inject $20 million into endorsing primary challengers against longstanding Democrats in firmly blue districts to oust "ineffective" incumbents, the New York Times reports. The audacious strategy follows the devastating 2024 election defeat experienced by his party after a string of missteps.
Division deepened within the party after the disastrous July presidential debate , which ultimately pushed then-81-year-old President Joe Biden to resign just three weeks later, leaving a narrow window of 90 days for a new ticket to emerge before the next election. His endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris squashed any chance of a competitive primary , much to the frustration of voters. Reflecting on the dire election, which gave rise to Donald Trump, perceived by Democrats as a threat to democracy, and cost the Democrats both chambers of Congress, the Parkland school shooting survivor has decided that the party needs to switch up its strategy.
Hogg criticizes what he views as a "culture of seniority politics" overriding effectiveness within the Democratic Party, which has inspired his campaign to bring younger blood into Congress. His bold initiative has met with indignation from party establishment figures and strategists who fear that it will divert attention from battleground races, though mature Hogg told CBS News that he doesn't "doesn't take it personally." Numerous party leaders have vocalized their opposition to his controversial plan.
Swing-district Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich. ) told Axios: "What a disappointment from leadership.
I can think of a million better things to do with twenty million dollars right now. Fighting Democrats might get likes online, but it's not what restores majorities." Some lawmakers shared their views under the veil of anonymity, slamming the strategy as "very counterproductive and counterintuitive," "a mistake," "inappropriate" and "totally dumbfounded," comparing it "a circular firing squad" while adding that the financial resources could be better used elsewhere.
Yet, there are those within the ranks such as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Cali. ) and Rep.
Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) who see merit in the approach. McGovern affirmed: "He makes some good points.
We do have some ranking members who should step aside. ..
. Competition is not a bad thing." Defending his decision, Hogg said that the outcome of the 2024 election is evidence that the party needs to change.
Hogg told CBS News: "Look at the results of the last previous election. Those are the purported experts who brought us here. Just to say, it's not personal.
I don't take those attacks personally, in this regard, it is a strategic disagreement." Hogg pointed to the noticeable lack of young people in Congress, which he views as a major issue for "the future of the Democratic Party." He notes that there is currently only one member of Congress within the 25-30 age range—his friend Maxwell Frost (D-Fl.
), the first Gen Z member to serve in Congress—which Hogg argues is not proportional representation. "We talk about diversity all the time in Congress. One of the things we don't talk about as much in regard to that is age," he told CBS News.
"I don't know if you've looked at Congress recently, we have one that is under the age of 30. That is not good for the future of the Democratic Party." He noted how party figures of the past and today started their careers within that time frame.
"President Biden was as successful as he was, I would argue because he started when he was 29, which I know is harder for some younger people to believe," Hogg said, in an appeal to diehard Democrats. "But if you look at FDR, if you look at LBJ, they started all before they were 30 and they became that successful because they were that young. Right now, those leaders don't have that chance.
" Hogg, however, made it clear that his concern is not with age but rather with efficacy. He highlighted leaders like California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 85, as an example of strong leadership.
"It's not just a matter of age, it is a matter of effectiveness. ..
. We need members who are ready to meet this moment to fight against Donald Trump." He also commended leaders like Sen.
Chris Van Halen (D-MD), who grabbed attention this week by traveling to El Salvador to meet with Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 30, who was mistakenly sent there amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. He also lauded Sen. Cory Booker, 55, of New Jersey, who made history for his 25-hour filibuster on the Senate floor against President Trump, voicing grave concerns about the state of the nation.
To further justify his plan, he pointed out that Booker and other senior party figures such as Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had to win primary elections to ascend to their current positions of power. The most "effective" leaders, in Hogg's view, are those making headlines for their active opposition and savvy use of social media, like Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who are currently among the top fundraisers for the party.
In response to party opposition, he said: "This is a healthy process for our party, and I think we should embrace it when it doesn't risk us losing the House because it's not a zero-sum game. ..
. What I would say to young people who are critical of the Democratic Party, I would say that I am by no means in this position because I think we are God's greatest gift by any means. "I am in this position because I know for families like mine what the Democratic Party can do," he added, sharing how his family survived on social security after his father was forced into early retirement upon being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Taking a swipe at the GOP, he added: "What I believe in isn't the Democratic Party that we have today but the Democratic Party we could be. The great thing about our party is we are not a cult and you can still be critical of it and still be a Democrat at the same time." "Sometimes our messaging is a little more widespread than the Republican Party but guess what we don't have a strong man at the top that excommunicates people because we have diversity and a diversity of approaches and strategies and we need everybody to step up and be a part of the change that we want to see.
" Facing backlash, the Leaders We Deserve organizer donated $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, supporting Democrats in their fundraising efforts this year, according to Axios. However, he said his show of good faith will not change his mind: "This is not me playing nice. It is demonstrating my commitment to winning back the house and making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker.
We absolutely cannot wait for people to retire at their own leisure or to let them sit there and do nothing while the country is burning." DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter..
