Protestors and Politicians at the DNC Chair Forum

Photo via GU Politics

HANNAH GILHEANY: After a painful loss in the 2024 election and Republican domination of all three branches of government, the DNC hosted its final election forum in Gaston Hall last Thursday. While the forum helped decide the February 1st victory of Minnesota chairman Ken Martin, protestors in the crowd demonstrated the challenges facing him in his quest for party redemption.

The panel, moderated by Symone Sanders, Jen Psaki, and Jonathan Capehart, was open to Georgetown students and DNC members with the intent of allowing the eight chair candidates one final opportunity to pitch themselves to the voter base. . 

Though the forum was meant to allow each candidate to receive equal speaking time, the organized manner of the forum quickly changed. A few minutes into the questioning period, a young woman stood up from her seat in the student section and exclaimed “I am 18 years old and I am scared for my future. What will you do for the working class?” She was quickly escorted out, but the interruptions did not stop there.  

While the moderators and candidates attempted to keep the room calm, a flurry of protestors from the Sunrise Movement began rising, each communicating the same message: a disillusionment with the democratic party and a lack of optimism in future leadership. As one man was removed by campus security, he repeatedly yelled, “We are facing a climate emergency!”, imploring the candidates on stage to focus on the crisis. 

As the protestors continued to shout, tensions and frustrations rose. Some DNC audience members stood up and shouted back, applauding when security forced the objectors out. On stage, the moderators pleaded for patience, explaining that they had been planning on addressing questions of climate change and working class voters. 

As the scene settled down, many candidates expressed their agreement and desire to respond to protestors’ concerns. Attorney and political strategist Jason Paul said, “I think it’s strange, when people on stage agree with you, to yell at them.” When asked if they would refuse money from oil and gas companies, each candidate raised their hand. The group discussed reching out to the working class and youth voters and their hope to reconnect with a broader voting base. 

In particular, chair-elect Martin focused on bringing the Democratic message to communities who have turned away from the party, to “make them feel again that we’re fighting for the issues that they’re supporting”. He cited policies like only taking money from donors who have aligning values and ensuring that the DNC does not have its “thumb on the scale” in elections. 

The forum illuminated the critical disconnect facing the Democratic Party. While party officials like Martin speak their commitments to the working class and hopes for youth involvement, their message does not seem to reach the young progressive movement. Many progressives feel the party is hypocritical, failing to address the core issues plaguing the nation. Conversely, older seasoned Democrats express frustration at the activist’s seeming refusal to actually engage with the conversations on stage. 

As Martin attempts to lead the party through the Trump trifecta and hopes for better election results in 2026, he and the rest of the DNC will need to bridge this gap. While he spoke with hope about a unified party, the protestors he needed to reach had long been escorted out of the building.

Bringing critical members of the party back will not be easy. But for Democrats, as the second Trump term commences, it is necessary. Success will only come when the protestors and representatives are standing together. Until then, the party’s cracks will continue to widen as the Trump train barrels through. 

Hannah Gilheany is a staff writer for On the Record. She is a freshman studying government and english in the College of Arts and Sciences.