Latest news with #ShastiConrad
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DNC elects vice chair to replace David Hogg as Democrat Party rift rages on
Shasti Conrad, Washington State Democratic Party Chair, was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday, ending the months-long David Hogg controversy in which the 25-year-old progressive bowed out from party leadership. The second voting period for the DNC's "any gender" vice chair election ended Friday night as Conrad picked up the majority of votes cast by DNC members. Earlier in the week, candidates failed to secure a majority and Jeanna Repass was eliminated during the first round of voting. Hogg announced his exit from DNC leadership after members voted last week to uphold the Credentials Committee's resolution proposed by longtime Democratic Party activist, Kalyn Free, to host a re-election for two vice-chair positions, which Hogg and DNC vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta won during the Feb. 1 party elections. "I'm honored to serve as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and am deeply grateful to the members who placed their trust in me," Conrad said in a statement. "This was the longest election in DNC history, and every vote cast reflected our shared belief in building a stronger, more inclusive Democratic Party." 'Distraction': The Democratic Party Is Ready To Leave Their David Hogg Drama In The Dust DNC Chair Ken Martin celebrated her win, describing Conrad as a "trailblazer who understands the importance of championing our communities and doing the hard work on the ground to help Democrats win up and down the ballot." Read On The Fox News App Dnc Chair Ripped David Hogg Over Party Infighting In Leaked Meeting Audio: 'Really Frustrating' Kenyatta told Fox News Digital after Hogg's exit that the re-election drama has prevented the DNC from being "singularly focused." "We've spent a lot of time talking about procedural nonsense within the DNC. I promise you nobody cares about that, and nobody wants to talk about it as little as I do. I want us to get refocused," Kenyatta said. Hogg agreed, writing in a lengthy X statement that he was stepping down from the DNC, "so the party can focus on what really matters." But Hogg ignited internal Democratic Party divisions this year through his $20 million plan to primary challenge vulnerable incumbent Democrats he said were "asleep at the wheel." The plan, through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, exposed an apparent rift with Martin, who gave Hogg the ultimatum to either forego his political influence through his PAC or give up his DNC leadership position. And the young progressive's departure did little to stall headlines about the Democratic Party's disarray, as this week DNC officials criticized Martin's leadership and The New York Times reported officials had considered borrowing money to pay the bills this year. Earlier this week, The New York Times also first reported that two top union leaders had departed the DNC. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, declined offers to stay on as at-large members of the DNC. "I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our communities," Weingarten, the education leader and longtime voice in Democratic politics, said in a letter Martin that is now circulating on social media. Hogg's decision to leave the DNC followed a damning Politico report, which included leaked audio from a Zoom meeting of Martin lamenting over Hogg's fallout at the DNC, claiming it had made it harder for Democrats to do their jobs and for Martin to demonstrate his ability to lead. "I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So, it's really frustrating," Martin said. The DNC on Friday touted raising nearly $40 million in its first four months under Martin, which the committee credited to "grassroots donors who are fired up to elect Democrats and defeat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans' billionaire-first agenda." "Powered by our grassroots community, the DNC has just set a new record for most money raised in the first four months under a new Chair — ever. What matters is winning elections, making Democrats competitive everywhere, expanding our tent, and putting our party on the right path," Martin said, in part. Free submitted her complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. She claimed the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's provision and parliamentary procedure and "discriminated against three women of color candidates." "This was never about Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg," Free told Fox News Digital after the Credentials Committee elevated her complaint before the full DNC. "For me, this was about ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals as the only political party to believe in and stand up for election integrity and a free and fair democracy." The Democratic Party maintained that the vice-chair re-election had nothing to do with the primary controversy Hogg stirred up earlier this year, but Hogg slammed the vote as a "fast-track" effort to remove him from party leadership. Fox News' Paige Dukeman contributed to this report. Original article source: DNC elects vice chair to replace David Hogg as Democrat Party rift rages on
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leader of WA Democrats wins leadership post with national party
Shasti Conrad, chair of the Washington state Democratic Party, won a leadership post with the Democratic National Committee on June 20, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Washington state Democratic Party) Washington state Democratic Party chair Shasti Conrad won a coveted leadership post with the Democratic National Committee on Friday. Conrad was elected DNC vice chair, giving her a voice in crafting the party's strategy for responding to the Trump administration and recapturing control of Congress in 2026. She beat Kalyn Free, a national committee member from Oklahoma, in a run-off after neither garnered a majority in a first round of balloting earlier this week. That initial round featured a third candidate, Jeanna Repass, chair of the Kansas Democratic Party. Conrad, 40, said in a statement that she was 'deeply grateful' for the result, which came after six days of voting. 'This was the longest election in DNC history, and every vote cast reflected our shared belief in building a stronger, more inclusive Democratic Party,' she said. The party is looking to bounce back after a disastrous 2024 cycle. Conrad has argued that Democrats don't need to drastically change their message or positions and instead must improve how they communicate with voters. She has also argued that the platform that has brought Democrats success in Washington, where the party controls all statewide elected offices and the Legislature, can be replicated to rack up victories elsewhere. 'We are not just strategizing to win elections. We are working to transform lives,' Conrad said before results came out. The DNC chose two vice chairs over the past two weeks in a do-over of Feb. 1 elections that were won by Malcolm Kenyatta and David Hogg. Those contests were invalidated after Free filed a complaint contending the party failed to follow its own rules on gender parity in officer elections. DNC members agreed to rerun elections for those seats. Only candidates who made it to the final round of voting in February and were eligible for each seat under party rules, could compete. Hogg, a 25-year-old gun-control activist, declined to run for his seat. He faced criticism from fellow Democrats because of his plans to fund challenges to Democratic incumbents with his group, Leaders We Deserve. Hogg's exit left Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative, as the only eligible candidate in the election for the vice chair position that had to be filled by a male under the DNC rules. Kenyatta was elected Saturday. Conrad, 40, is in her second term as leader of Washington's Democratic Party and is the first South Asian woman to lead a state party. She had the backing of DNC Chair Ken Martin, who appointed her in March to be an associate chair for the national party. In this role, she said she's strived to spotlight issues of importance to Asian Americans and to work with influencers on ways to better engage younger voters. 'As a millennial, I'm committed to creating more opportunities for young people to get involved and become the leaders of today—not just tomorrow,' she said. She added that she'd ensure Asian American and Pacific Islanders 'have a seat at every table where decisions are made.'
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DNC elects vice chair to replace David Hogg as Democrat Party rift rages on
Shasti Conrad, Washington State Democratic Party Chair, was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday, ending the months-long David Hogg controversy in which the 25-year-old progressive bowed out from party leadership. The second voting period for the DNC's "any gender" vice chair election ended Friday night as Free OR Conrad picked up the majority of votes cast by DNC members. Earlier in the week, candidates failed to secure a majority and Jeanna Repass was eliminated during the first round of voting. Hogg announced his exit from DNC leadership after members voted last week to uphold the Credentials Committee's resolution proposed by Kalyn Free to host a re-election for two vice-chair positions, which Hogg and DNC vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta won during the Feb. 1 party elections. Kenyatta told Fox News Digital after Hogg's exit that the re-election drama has prevented the DNC from being "singularly focused." "We've spent a lot of time talking about procedural nonsense within the DNC. I promise you nobody cares about that, and nobody wants to talk about it as little as I do. I want us to get refocused," Kenyatta said. Hogg agreed, writing in a lengthy X statement that he was stepping down from the DNC, "so the party can focus on what really matters." But Hogg ignited internal Democratic Party divisions this year through his $20 million plan to primary challenge vulnerable incumbent Democrats he said were "asleep at the wheel." The plan, through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, exposed an apparent rift with DNC Chair Ken Martin, who gave Hogg the ultimatum to either forego his political influence through his PAC or give up his DNC leadership position. And the young progressive's departure did little to stall headlines about the Democratic Party's disarray, as this week DNC officials criticized Martin's leadership and The New York Times reported officials had considered borrowing money to pay the bills this year. Earlier this week, The New York Times also first reported that two top union leaders had departed the DNC. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, declined offers to stay on as at-large members of the DNC. "I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our communities," Weingarten, the education leader and longtime voice in Democratic politics, said in a letter Martin that is now circulating on social media. Hogg's decision to leave the DNC followed a damning Politico report, which included leaked audio from a Zoom meeting of Martin lamenting over Hogg's fallout at the DNC, claiming it had made it harder for Democrats to do their jobs and for Martin to demonstrate his ability to lead. "I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So, it's really frustrating," Martin said. Free submitted her complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. She claimed the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's provision and parliamentary procedure and "discriminated against three women of color candidates." "This was never about Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg," Free told Fox News Digital after the Credentials Committee elevated her complaint before the full DNC. "For me, this was about ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals as the only political party to believe in and stand up for election integrity and a free and fair democracy." The Democratic Party maintained that the vice-chair re-election had nothing to do with the primary controversy Hogg stirred up earlier this year, but Hogg slammed the vote as a "fast-track" effort to remove him from party leadership.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington Democratic leader gets second chance at key post with national party
Washington state Democratic Party chair Shasti Conrad (left) and Democratic U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington (right) at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Shasti Conrad/WA Dems) Washington state Democratic Party chair Shasti Conrad is getting another shot at a leadership post with the Democratic National Committee and a voice in retooling the political strategy for the national party. Conrad is one of three women vying for a vice chair position in a do-over of the Feb. 1 election won by Malcolm Kenyatta. In that bid, Conrad made the case to voting delegates that the formula that brought Democrats success in Washington last year — a sweep of nine statewide executive posts, gains in their majorities in the Legislature and defeat of three conservative-backed ballot measures — is one the party can use to win back control of Congress and the White House. Her message hasn't changed heading into balloting this weekend. 'We've won elections year after year. Today, through recruitment efforts and organizing, we're gaining ground in red communities,' she says in a one-minute video sent to the roughly 400 people who will vote. If elected, she vowed to 'focus on winning elections, constituency organizing, and changing lives for the better.' In February, Kenyatta and David Hogg were elected as vice chairs. But those contests were invalidated after a complaint that contended the party failed to follow its own rules on gender parity in officer elections. DNC members decided this week to rerun elections for those seats. Only candidates who made it to the final round of voting in February and are eligible for each seat under party rules, can compete. The new elections are being conducted separately, with ballots cast virtually. Hogg, a 25-year-old gun-control activist and the party's first Gen Z vice chair, isn't running to keep his seat. He's faced backlash from fellow Democrats for his plans to support challengers to incumbent Democrats with his group, Leaders We Deserve. His critics contend that party officers need to be neutral in primaries. Hogg's exit left Kenyatta as the only eligible candidate in the first election because the position must be filled by a male under the DNC rules. Voting began Thursday and ends Saturday for the spot held by Hogg. Conrad, Kalyn Free, a national committee member from Oklahoma, and Jeanna Repass, chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, are competing to be second vice chair. A candidate of any gender can hold this seat. For this position, voting begins at 7 a.m. Sunday and runs through 2 p.m. Tuesday. Free filed the complaint that set the new elections in motion. Conrad led the King County Democrats for four years before being elected chair of the state Democratic Party in 2023 and re-elected in January. She is the first South Asian woman to lead a state party. She enjoys strong ties to DNC Chair Ken Martin, who appointed her in March to be an associate chair for the national party. In this role, she said she's strived to spotlight issues of importance to Asian Americans and to work with influencers on ways to better engage younger voters.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic congresswoman, state party chair to hold Spokane townhall
Apr. 16—U.S. Rep. Emily Randall, a Democrat who represents the Tacoma and Olympic peninsulas in Congress, will host a town hall in Spokane Friday evening along with state Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad and others to discuss "illegal and damaging actions by Trump, Musk, and their allies," according to a news release. The town hall, which will be held in the Spokane Community College Lair Student Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday, is open to the public. Attendees may bring signage. Those hoping to attend are encouraged to RSVP, as seating is limited to 350, with around 100 seats already reserved. The RSVP form is available on the Spokane County Democrats website. In addition to Randall and Conrad, Spokane County Democrats Chair Naida Spencer and Spokane Public Schools Board Member Jenny Slagle will participate; Mayor Lisa Brown will deliver opening remarks. The event is meant to let local voters voice their concerns about the federal government, Washington Democrats spokesman Stephen Reed said in a brief interview. Spokane's Republican congressman, Rep. Michael Baumgartner, hosted town halls in Ritzville and Spokane last month. The one in Spokane was particularly disruptive, and he criticized some of the attendees for their behavior. Reed noted that the state Democratic party would do "everything possible" to elect Democrats across the state in 2026, including in what has become a historically uncompetitive Eastern Washington district.
