Democratic National Committee (DNC) members will gather at the National Harbor outside of Washington to choose a new chairman, a high-profile but often thankless position responsible for organizing, strategizing and communicating the party’s message.

Democrats are looking for a new generation of leaders to step up now that former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris have left the scene. The party has been relegated to minority status in both chambers of Congress after watching President Trump cut deep into their coalition of working class and minority voters.

The selection of a new DNC chair should provide a brief boost of enthusiasm and optimism as a fresh face is introduced onto the national scene.

It’s an insider game with “Conclave”-style intrigue, as the candidates vie for support from the hundreds of state chairs, vice chairs and members who will be flying in from every corner of the country.

Ben Wikler, the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, and Ken Martin, the chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, are seen as the favorites in a race that includes six other candidates.

Also in the running are former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Bernie Sanders campaign chief Faiz Shakir, who jumped in late and has pushed the party to return to its working class roots.

The vote will be an early indication of how much influence establishment Democrats wield.

Wikler has endorsements from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

DEMS DEBATE BIDEN, IDENTITY POLITICS

The disastrous 2024 election cycle for Democrats has provoked debate about Biden’s legacy and whether a focus on identity politics is an electoral dead end.

Those issues represent a potential litmus test for future Democratic leaders.

Biden dropped out of the presidential race after the debate affirmed the public’s concern about his age and mental acuity. Since then, media reports indicate Biden’s staff shielded him from scrutiny to keep a lid on questions about his decline.

Some Democrats are furious that Biden didn’t step aside earlier after pledging to be a bridge candidate in 2020.

Outgoing DNC chair Jamie Harrison disagrees, telling The Associated Press the party should have stuck with Biden instead of handing the nomination to Harris after a frenzied panic about the polls.

“You stick by your people,” Harrison said.

At a DNC forum Thursday night, every candidate raised their hand when asked whether they believed sexism and misogyny played a role in Harris’s defeat.

“You all passed,” moderator Jonathan Capehart said to laughter and applause.

That focus on identity could be another flashpoint for Democrats moving forward.

Trump has been unwinding Biden’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and many corporations have abandoned their DEI efforts.

Shakir, the former Sanders aide, said he’s “frustrated by the way in which we utilize identity to break ourselves apart,” according to The Washington Post.

"Let’s get into that, not separate ourselves out, give pats on the head for being in various identity groups."

Harrison insisted that a focus on diversity can still be a winner for the party.

"Unlike the other party, that is demonizing diversity, we understand that diversity is our greatest strength," he said, according to Semafor.

DEM BRAND TARNISHED

Quinnipiac University released a survey this week that found only 31 percent have a favorable view of the Democratic party, against 57 percent who view it........

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