Ken Martin, one of the leading candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee, said Tuesday he has the support of 200 party members, close to the level of support he needs to win.
If that support holds for Mr. Martin, the head of the Minnesota Democratic Party, he will fall just 25 votes short of the number needed to win the party's Feb. 1 election.
“I'm honored to have the support of leaders across the country,” Martin said. “Our campaign is gaining momentum and we will continue to work to get people to vote.”
No other candidate in the DNC leadership race has claimed as much support as Martin. His campaign has not released a list of supporters, but more than 100 national committee members have publicly endorsed him.
Other leading candidates have also announced far fewer public endorsements, although one, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, said he had 60 private pledges. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, who is seen as Martin's main rival, has not disclosed his level of support for Martin.
Mr. Martin and Mr. Wikler share largely similar mainstream politics, and no major proposals for party realignment have featured prominently in the campaign since President Trump's victory in November.
Last week, Faiz Shakir, Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign manager, entered the race vowing to redefine the party as a champion of the working class.
Mr. Martin founded and led the Democratic state party leadership organization, which grew to become a power center within the national committee and a thorn in the side of leaders, but other state party chairmen and vice chairmen. have shown support among themselves.
Many organized Democratic leaders have privately complained about Mr. Martin's attempts to lead the party, but have made little public effort to prevent him from winning.
Other candidates include Nate Snyder, a former Homeland Security official in the Obama and Biden administrations. Marianne Williamson, former presidential candidate. Jason Paul, a lawyer from Massachusetts, said at a forum last week that his party lost the presidential election because “the political media insisted on manufacturing the Democratic controversy.”
Members of the national committee are scheduled to meet on February 1 at a hotel outside Washington to elect their next chair. Current chairman Jamie Harrison is not seeking re-election.
