UMVA has learned that a crucial autopsy of the 2024 election, commissioned by DNC Chair Ken Martin, has been shrouded in secrecy since its completion. The report, which aimed to examine the party's mistakes and provide a roadmap to victory, has been under wraps despite widespread criticism from within the party.
The autopsy was compiled after Martin ordered the Democratic Party to interview over 300 Democrats from all 50 states, promising to offer a comprehensive review of the party's performance in 2024. However, controversy surrounded the report as it was being compiled, with some party officials pushing back against the idea of labeling it an "autopsy" due to the party's strong performance in the 2025 off-year elections.
According to sources close to the situation, Martin repeatedly pushed back on releasing the report, citing concerns that it would be a "distraction" from the party's core mission to win back congressional majorities in the midterms. The decision was met with criticism from both Republicans and fellow Democrats, with some calling for the report to be made public.
Former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg warned that the party's decision to spike the autopsy would only lead to further disillusionment among grassroots activists and organizers. "They are spiking an autopsy of the election that gave us Trump 2.0. If party leaders won't take the steps required to rebuild ourselves into a winning coalition, we will take it into our own hands," Hogg wrote on social media.
Other prominent Democrats, including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former senior advisor to then-President Barack Obama Dan Pfeiffer, have also called for the report to be made public. "This is a very bad decision that reeks of the caution and complacency that brought us to this moment," Pfeiffer wrote on social media.
Despite the criticism, the DNC has maintained that they are not hiding the ball and have been sharing summaries of the report with Democratic stakeholders. However, a person familiar with the DNC's strategy has suggested that the ongoing controversy may force the party to release the full report in the coming weeks.
The situation has left many wondering what is really being hidden in the report and why the DNC is so reluctant to share it with the public. As the midterms approach, the party's decision to keep the autopsy under wraps has raised more questions than answers.
