Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison that the 2026 elections are critical for the Democratic Party as they aim to confront what he said is a “fascist regime.”
“When we get into power next time, we [explicit] well better make sure that D.C. is a state, that Puerto Rico is a state, that we eliminate the filibuster rule, right?” he said on an appearance in Harrison’s podcast, “At Our Table.”
“We get rid of all these antiquated rules that sure in the past made sense, but right now, with what we’re dealing with in this country, and we have a fascist regime, trying to destroy our democracy, we cannot abide by those rules anymore. We can’t be the only party with one hand tied behind our back,” Martin declared. “When we get in power – and we will get in power – we’re going to win in ’26, we’re going to win in ’25, and when we are in power we don’t play by that antiquated playbook anymore. We go in there and do exactly what we want and what we said we were going to do to fight for people.”
“If we are not willing to fight when everything we stand for in this country is under assault, then everything is at stake. If we don’t win in ’26 and we give this fascist regime an unimpeded path of power for the next four years, everything we value, everything we care about, will be lost. And it’s not me being hyperbolic,” he said.
Martin made similar comments in August, where he asserted, “Democrats, make no mistake, a storm is coming. In fact, it’s already here. Rising inequality, attacks on democracy, voter suppression, and a fascist regime that doesn’t play by the rules.”
