Just two weeks after a bruising presidential election, the race to lead the Democratic Party has begun in earnest, with Minnesota Democratic party chair Ken Martin and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley entering the race this week.

Ken Martin, head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, announced Tuesday that he is running for the job. He begins the contest with support from 83 members of the DNC, he said, almost one-fifth of the body. Martin confirmed his candidacy in a text to POLITICO. It was first reported by the New York Times.

Minnesota Democratic Party chair Ken Martin has formally announced his bid to lead the Democratic National Committee.

Ken Martin has already garnered the endorsement of 83 members of the Democratic National Committee — nearly one-fifth of the body.

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chair Ken Martin, who's led the state party for more than a decade, on Tuesday announced a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party looks to rebuild in wake of bruising electoral defeats this month.

Reid Epstein, a reporter with The New York Times, spoke with Martin, who argued Democrats’ downfall was their message failing to land with voters ahead of the 2024 election.