Some Democrats Are Already Regretting That David Hogg Was Selected as DNC Vice Chair

Gun-control activist David Hogg was elected last weekend as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, but some party members worry that his influence will harm the coalition.

Hogg, 24, a survivor of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was co-founder of March for Our Lives, a gun-control entity.

He was elected Saturday to one of three vice-chair positions.

Politico noted in a Tuesday report that Hogg, who occupies a position that usually carries minimal power and attracts little public attention, has already emerged as a foil for the Republicans.

Members of the rival party have spotlighted his past rhetoric in support of gun control, defunding the police, abolishing ICE, and other leftist positions to which the public is broadly opposed.

Centrists within the Democratic Party vented to Politico that the 24-year-old could further injure the coalition’s already suffering brand image with the American people.

Some think the election of Hogg may communicate to voters that the party still cares more about fringe social issues than the core hardships everyday Americans face.

“The most worrying thing is if he carries into this new job a belief that saying what he was saying, but louder, is the way to prevail in red states,” Matt Bennett, co-founder of the group Third Way, told Politico.

“Because it isn’t,” he added. “If he believes that it is, that’s going to be a real problem for our candidates in those places.”

Bennett observed that “he came up as an activist, but now he is a party leader, and that’s a very, very different role.”

An unnamed Democratic strategist similarly warned that Hogg can “go on TV as a vice chair for the DNC, speak on behalf of the Democratic Party, in a way that can do more harm than good.”

Another unnamed insider remarked that Hogg can “either be the caricature of who he is on TV and online, or he can go deeper,” adding that “we don’t know yet what to expect from him.”

Hogg nevertheless earned several endorsements from prominent Democrats ahead of his campaign.

His backers included recent vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, and Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first member of Congress from Generation Z.

Hogg had marketed himself to party insiders as a solution to the Democrats’ youth problem, since the demographic shifted rapidly toward Republicans in November.

“Our party failed to connect with voters this year because they felt like we ignored them. We need to listen again and have the tough conversations with people from across the political spectrum — and I’m committed to doing that work,” Hogg told Politico.

As for his Republican critics, Hogg brushed them off.

“I’m used to it, but I’ve never let that right-wing propaganda stop me from showing up, uplifting young voices, and working to unify all corners of our party,” he said.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.