After substantial losses in the 2024 election, Democrats are searching for new leadership across the country.

Republicans took back the White House and Senate, along with retaining control of the House.

Party officials, including Idaho’s state Democratic Party Chair, Lauren Necochea, will vote for the new head of the Democratic National Committee early next year.

The race has several candidates across the political spectrum, including former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Ken Martin, who heads Minnesota’s version of the Democratic Party and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ken Wikler.

Where the next chairperson lands ideologically, Necochea said, isn’t as important as being able to unify the different coalitions making up the party.

“To come together across our minor policy disagreements we might hold to advance the agenda of electing more Democrats so that we can implement more of these policies that lift up working families,” she said.

Progressive members of the party have long criticized moderates for compromising their liberal values on issues like healthcare and support for large corporations.

Necochea said she’s not hearing a steady drumbeat of party officials trying to upend the status quo.

“[Republicans are] coming after Social Security. They’re coming after Medicare. They’re coming after our health care,” she said.

“So I just hear from my colleagues across the nation that we want to get back to work and roll up our sleeves and be ready to make a big comeback in the midterms.”

Experience managing large and complex organizations is a must. But another important necessity is having a communication plan to reach voters who actively tune out news and vote Republican, even if liberal policies would benefit them more.

“It’s both a challenge to deliver education and information to people who are kind of trying to avoid it, but it’s also an opportunity because it means that a lot of people who came out and voted for Republicans didn’t know what they were voting for,” Necochea said.

Increasing face-to-face communication is vital and something she said Idaho Democrats have already been doing, though the party lost three legislative seats this year.

“If you only try a door a few times during an election cycle and you don’t catch them when they’re home, then you never get to have that conversation,” she said.

Another item on her wishlist is for the next DNC chair to continue supporting a 50-state strategy – meaning the national party invests in local candidates across the country to help break up GOP supermajorities.

All major offices in Idaho are held by Republicans and the GOP holds 86% of all legislative seats here.

Necochea will join other party officials at the DNC’s winter meeting on Feb. 1 outside of Washington, D.C.

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