A number of sub-plots undergird the drama that erupted over Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin’s release of an incomplete “autopsy” of the 2024 election.

First, I’ll note that I don’t envy the dilemma in which Martin found himself. Martin had promised to deliver an in-depth examination of what went wrong in 2024 and the lessons the party could learn from these mistakes. He commissioned the study but didn’t receive a draft until the end of 2025. And what he received was a disaster — woefully incomplete, poorly sourced, and a mish-mash of information and data without direction, conclusions, or actionable recommendations.

Because Democrats had already recorded a string of victories in 2025 and were gearing up for critical 2026 midterm congressional elections, Martin decided against completing or releasing the study. At that point, it was a sound judgement. It wouldn’t have served any useful purpose to order its completion, with a release occurring amid the 2026 election season, diverting attention from helping Democrats take control of Congress.

With the decision against release, two distinct........

© The Nation