DNC chair candidates meet in final in-person forum
Read More On January 30, 2025, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) held its final in-person chair candidate forum at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., co-hosted by MSNBC. The event featured candidates Quintessa Hathaway, Ken Martin, Martin O'Malley, Jason Paul, James Skoufis, Nate Snyder, Ben Wikler, and Marianne Williamson. C-SPAN.ORG The forum was notably disrupted by climate protesters associated with the Sunrise Movement. One protester interrupted the proceedings, demanding that candidates "stop taking oil money" before being escorted out. Another questioned whether the candidates worked for "billionaires or for people like me." These disruptions prompted moderator Symone Sanders to address the protesters, emphasizing the need to continue the forum's discussions. WASHINGTONEXAMINER.COM In response to the protests, moderator Jen Psaki posed questions to the candidates regarding their stance on accepting donations from billionaires and oil and gas companies. Several candidates, including Ben Wikler and Ken Martin, declined to support a ban on corporate PAC money. Martin emphasized, "We will not take money from corporations that are polluting our planet. We will only take money from people who share our values." WASHINGTONEXAMINER.COM This forum was the culmination of a series of candidate events leading up to the DNC's election of a new chair on February 1, 2025. The new chair will be tasked with revitalizing the party following recent electoral challenges and overseeing the nominating process for the 2028 presidential election.