Tag: Ken Martin

Ken Martin Unanimously Re-Elected to Lead Democratic State Parties

Martin to continue strengthening Democratic infrastructure in 3rd term as head of the Association of State Democratic Committees

WASHINGINGTON, DC – Today, Ken Martin was unanimously reelected President of the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC), the organization within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that works to organize, coordinate with, and advocate for Democratic State Parties across the nation. Martin was first elected to lead the ASDC in 2017. In addition to this role, Martin also serves as the Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

“I am honored to have been unanimously re-elected to serve a third term as President of the ASDC and I look forward to continuing our important work of strengthening Democratic infrastructure across America,” said ASDC President Ken Martin. “During my first two terms as ASDC President, I worked hard to secure historic agreements with Chair Perez and the DNC that greatly improved coordination between state and national Democratic parties and helped build the structures needed to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. I look forward to continuing our party’s work of electing champions for justice, freedom, fairness, and opportunity for all Americans.”

“The Democratic Party is strong when our state parties are strong, and Ken Martin’s work at the ASDC has made our state parties stronger than ever,” said Ray Buckley, Chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and President Emeritus of the ASDC. “Ken understands that there are no off-years and that our work does not stop after election day. Thanks to the partnerships he forged between the DNC and ASDC, our party’s electoral infrastructure is more durable than ever before and we stand ready to continue building on our incredible electoral gains these last four years.”

Continue reading “Ken Martin Unanimously Re-Elected to Lead Democratic State Parties”

DFL Party Statement on the Election of Joe Biden to be the 46th President of the United States

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement on the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be the next President and Vice President of the United States of America:

“This is a great day for the United States of America. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ran a campaign appealing to the best in America and our nation responded by casting more ballots for Biden and Harris than any other presidential ticket in history. When all is said and done, this will be one of the most decisive wins – both in popular vote and in the electoral college – for any presidential ticket. When given the choice, voters opted for hope over fear, unity over division, and love over hate.

“Now that this long presidential election is over, it is time for our nation to come together as one people to address the common challenges we face. I look forward to the work that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will do to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, build an economy that puts working people first, and tackle systemic injustice. 

“Today’s victory belongs not just to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but to the American people. I eagerly await the day Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in and moral leadership is restored to the White House. After four long years, America’s allies abroad will have a president they can trust, our children at home will have a role model in the Oval Office, and Americans will have a President of the United States who unifies this country around our shared promise and dreams for the future. Our better days are truly ahead.”

DFL Party Statement on Donald and Melania Trump Contracting COVID-19

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement on President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump contracting COVID-19:

“All of us at the Minnesota DFL Party wish the President and First Lady a swift and full recovery from COVID-19. We are praying for their health and the well-being of those they have come into contact with in the past few days.

“This troubling news underscores the ongoing threat posed to us all by the coronavirus pandemic. We must remain vigilant, follow the CDC guidelines, and abide by Minnesota’s mask order to limit the spread of this virus and protect our health and that of our friends, families, and communities.”

DFL Party Statement on Joe Biden’s Selection of Kamala Harris as Running Mate

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement on Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate:

“I could not be more excited to join DFLers across Minnesota in voting for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President of the United States of America. Senator Harris has dedicated her life to serving the American people, fighting for working families, and building a more just and equitable country. As the daughter of immigrants and the first Black woman to serve California as Attorney General and in the United States Senate, I know that Kamala Harris can help heal the divisions across our nation that Donald Trump has spent his life exacerbating.

“The truth is, Donald Trump has failed the American people. One in ten American workers are out of a job, over 5.1 million Americans have been infected by COVID-19, and over 160,000 are dead. Senator Harris is a fighter with a record of taking on powerful people and special interests and winning, from big banks to big oil companies to predatory for-profit colleges. I have no doubt that Harris will be a tremendous leader in the fight against the historic corruption, mismanagement, and incompetence of the Trump administration.”

DFL Party Statement on Trump’s Push to Delay the 2020 Election

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota – Today, Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s push to delay the 2020 elections:

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening here: President Trump is suggesting we delay the 2020 election almost immediately after the United States surpassed 150,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and suffered the worst economic nosedive in American history. Continue reading “DFL Party Statement on Trump’s Push to Delay the 2020 Election”

DFL Party Endorses Tina Smith for the United States Senate

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota DFL Party announced that Tina Smith secured the DFL Party’s endorsement for re-election to the United States Senate.

Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“Today, I’m incredibly proud to announce that the Minnesota DFL Party has endorsed Tina Smith for re-election to the United States Senate. Senator Smith works across the aisle to get things done for Minnesota–whether it’s fighting to lower the price of insulin, expanding mental health services, increasing broadband access or making sure people get the skills they need to get good-paying jobs. And more recently as the nation combats coronavirus, she successfully fought to ensure free COVID-19 testing for all Americans.

“And right now, Tina isn’t shying away from the very real changes we need to make, including fixing the systems that fail to prevent abuses of power and racism in all forms. Minnesotans deserve an advocate, an ally, and a fighter like Tina Smith in the United States Senate.” Continue reading “DFL Party Endorses Tina Smith for the United States Senate”

DFL Party Statement on the Death of George Floyd

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement on the death of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers:

“George Floyd should still be alive today. Justice must be done for him, but it does not change that heartbreaking reality.

“Senseless and vicious killings like these shatter families, destroy trust, and erode the safety and well-being of black Americans everywhere. We must do so much better because this is a matter of life and death for so many across our nation. Black men and women should not have to live in fear of the police officers that are supposed to protect and serve them. They should not have to live in fear that going for a jog could be a death sentence. This violence perpetrated against communities of color has to end.”

 

DFL Statement on the Supreme Court Hearing Another Challenge to the Affordable Care Act

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced it would hear another lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. This is the latest in a long series of conservative legal attempts to eliminate the popular health care law, and the first to come before the Supreme Court with Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch on the bench.

If the Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act, 266,000 Minnesotans would lose access to health insurance. Nationwide, nearly 20 million Americans could lose access to the care they depend on.

DFL Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:

“Once again, the health care of tens of millions of Americans is on the chopping block thanks to President Trump and his Republican allies’ relentless assault on the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court hearing another Affordable Care Act case is dire news for Minnesotans everywhere because time and time again, conservative efforts to eliminate the popular health care law have come dangerously close to succeeding. Continue reading “DFL Statement on the Supreme Court Hearing Another Challenge to the Affordable Care Act”

Minnesota DFL Announces Support for Changes to MN Primary Law to Protect Voter Privacy and Data

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Chairman Ken Martin announced his support for a legislative effort, led by Secretary of State Steve Simon and supported by a bi-partisan group of lawmakers, to protect party affiliation data collected during the Minnesota presidential primary.

“The Minnesota DFL strongly supports bi-partisan efforts to protect the privacy of Minnesotans voting in our presidential primary,” said DFL Chairman Ken Martin. “Here in Minnesota, we do not require voters to register with a particular political party, and we share the concerns of the Minnesotans who feel that widespread access to the party affiliation data collected during the primary is both a violation of their privacy and will act as a de facto party registration system.”

“The National Democratic and Republican Parties require records of who participates in their respective primaries solely for the purpose of certifying that partisan interference did not occur during those primaries,” said Martin. “However, it is possible to both comply with these requirements and prevent both parties from using the primary data for any other purposes. We urge the legislature to take swift action at the start of the legislative session in order to protect the privacy of Minnesota voters.” Continue reading “Minnesota DFL Announces Support for Changes to MN Primary Law to Protect Voter Privacy and Data”

DFL Statement on the Impeachment of President Donald Trump

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives voted to approve articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party released the following statement in response:

“The impeachment of any sitting president is a deeply tragic event for our nation. However, through his own actions, President Donald Trump left the House of Representatives with no possible alternative.

“Donald Trump violated his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States when he withheld military aid from an ally to force their government into interfering in a United States election by attacking one of the President’s political rivals.

“If any president is allowed to wield the power of the United States government to secure his own re-election, our nation will have taken its first major steps away from democracy and towards autocracy. It is imperative that we hold Donald Trump accountable for his brazenly unconstitutional and undemocratic actions, lest we risk normalizing such behavior.

“I applaud the United States House of Representatives for taking decisive action to stand up for the rule of law and defend our Constitution. The impeachment of President Trump brings me no joy, but it was necessary to ensure we remain a democracy where nobody is above the law.”