DNC chair Ken Martin urges Washington Democrats to mobilize with 136 days to midterms

DNC Chair Ken Martin told a packed convention hall in Spokane that the Democratic National Committee will invest in organizing “everywhere” and pressed delegates to use the next 136 days to mobilize voters.

"We have just 136 days until these midterm elections," Martin said, outlining a granular ask: door knocks, texts, phonebanks and local organizing as the only way to change outcomes. He framed the effort as national in scope — investing in red, purple and blue states alike — and urged delegates to treat time as the scarcest resource.

Martin described the DNC's strategy as a permanent, year-round campaign and linked grassroots work to protecting democratic norms. "We need you," he said. "We need your voice. We need your courage. We need your time." The chair also invoked recent state-level gains and urged that momentum be translated into targeted local outreach to protect the party’s policy agenda.

Why it matters: Martin’s remarks converted the national party’s mobilization plan into a short-term call to action for Washington Democrats, stressing that resources and attention will be spread across the country rather than concentrated only in traditional strongholds.