David Hogg, who emerged on the political scene as an outspoken survivor of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla. was elected as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee this year. Now he is plotting to carry out a plan that has veteran Democrats raising their eyebrows: allocate funds to challenge lawmakers in safe seats and bring new, younger people to the forefront of the party.
Hogg has been vocal about his desire to invest in younger Democrats to primary career politicians, seeking to squelch a pervasive "culture of seniority politics" that has allowed what he describes as less effective lawmakers to continue to hold office at a moment of crisis.
"People say they want change in the Democratic Party, but really they want change so long as it doesn't potentially endanger their position of power," Hogg told The New York Times in a recent interview. "That's not actually wanting change. That's selfishness."
Hogg's plan, which consists in bringing new Democrats to primary older incumbents, reportedly has brought anger among the party establishment, a new Axios report details, as Hogg has already spent $20 million in bringing his plan into fruition.
House Democrats told the news outlet that while Hogg is not targeting battleground-district members, they believe he will divert attention and resources away from their races as well as the fight to retake the House.
"What a disappointment from leadership. I can think of a million better things to do with twenty million dollars right now," swing-district Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) told the outlet. "Fighting Democrats might get likes online, but it's not what restores majorities," she added.
Another House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts about a top party official, called the plan "very counterproductive and counterintuitive" and said "it would sure be nice to have some of that financial support."
According to Axios, the anger continued among Democratic officials in private this week, with several venting that Hogg is putting his own interests above those of the party.
A second anonymous House Democrat told the news outlet, "I think this is a mistake." Another one said it "seem inappropriate for a DNC vice chair to threaten sitting Dems." A fourth one said they are "totally dumbfounded" that "instead of focusing on [winning], we're focusing inward in a circular firing squad."
Yet other lawmakers, particularly progressives, are defending the plan, arguing the party needs an effective core in order to appeal to voters.
"He makes some good points. We do have some ranking members who should step aside," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a ranking member of the House Rules Committee. He added that Democrats also "have some long term members who are terrific."
A fifth House Democrat who spoke anonymously said the party "should have the most effective members right now. Competition is not a bad thing," though they argued age shouldn't be the only criteria.
Hogg's plans, and the backlash behind it, is the latest indication of the age divide among the Democratic party. Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, an increasing group of Democrats in their 20s and 30s are planning on challenging their long-time lawmakers.
"What we are not saying here is, 'Oh, you're old, you need to go'," Hogg said of older officials in the Times interview. "What we're saying is we need to make room for a new generation to step up and help make sure that we have the people that are most acutely impacted by a lot of the issues that we are legislating on— that are actually going to live to see the consequences of this."
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
