Democrats in US electing new leader as party struggles to repair its brand

Supporters of DNC chair candidate Ben Wikler (Rod Lamkey Jr/AP)

Democrats, desperately seeking a new message and messengers to push back against the Trump administration, are electing a new party leader on Saturday in a low-profile race that could have big implications for their future.

The new Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair will succeed Jaime Harrison, who did not seek another term after a tumultuous 2024 election in which Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the popular vote in two decades and made modest gains with core Democratic constituencies — African Americans, Latinos and working-class voters among them.