DNC official Hogg presses ahead with side gig that he says could target 12-plus incumbent in 2026

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg said his organization “Leaders We Deserve” might target more than a dozen Democratic incumbents in the next primary elections for congressional seats.

“Currently, we’re looking at over 12 districts, but there’s a lot of nuance that comes with that number, because there’s going to be people who retire,” Hogg told NewsNation, noting that his group won't run a candidate if a young person can't be found to challenge the incumbent.

He believes that some Democrats are not fighting hard enough against the Trump administration, which is “eviscerating our economy, eroding the foundations of our democracy and literally disappearing people.”

Hogg said his goal is to find the best of his generation to run against incumbents, but he is focusing on “effectiveness rather than age,” noting “there are really effective people that are older, there are really effective people that are younger, and there are really ineffective people of all ages.”

He added that effectiveness looks different for each district, especially depending on if they are in rural or urban areas, but his organization will ensure that Congress members “are the best representatives that they can be for their districts … that their constituents don’t feel like there’s conflicts of interest.”

However, Hogg, a gun-control activist and survivor of the so-called "Parkland high school shooting" in 2018, in which 17 people were killed, explained, “We will not challenge somebody that is in a swing district.”

DNC Chairman Ken Martin has warned about "primary-ing" Democratic politicians.

“No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or challengers … voters should decide who our primary nominees are, not DNC leadership,” Martin said earlier this month.

He said that while he respects Hogg, “I’ve said to him, ’If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC.’”

“We can’t be both the referee and also the player at the same time,” Martin added. “You have to make a decision.”

Hogg said he respects Martin and believes they have a disagreement over strategy, and that they are discussing how to move forward. Depending on how the discussions go will determine Hogg's next steps.

Still, the committee, the executive leadership board of the United States' Democratic Party, has yet take an official action again Hogg beyond warning him.