Minnesota Governor Tim Walz found himself fumbling Wednesday when asked the simple but increasingly pressing question: Who is the leader of the Democratic Party now?
In an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, Walz, the former 2024 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, struggled to provide a clear answer. Instead, he offered a vague response, suggesting that leadership would “organically step up” rather than name a singular figure guiding the party forward.
“I think the voting public right now is what I would say,” Walz replied with a nervous chuckle. “And I keep telling that. We’re not going to have a charismatic leader ride in here and save us from this.”
Comparing the current state of the Democratic Party to the rise of the Tea Party movement under President Obama, Walz argued that leadership doesn’t have to come from a single individual. However, the lack of a clear leader has become an urgent issue for Democrats as they struggle to redefine themselves following a bruising 2024 election cycle.
Despite his uncertainty about the present, Walz appears to have at least some interest in shaping the future of the Democratic Party. In an interview with The New Yorker on Sunday, he hinted at a possible 2028 presidential bid.
“I had a friend tell me, ‘Never turn down a job you haven’t been offered,’” Walz said when asked about a potential run. “If I think I could offer something … I would certainly consider that.”
He was careful to temper expectations, acknowledging that other Democrats may be better suited for the job. “I certainly wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think that it needs to be me,” he added. “But if I have the skill set for the time, I’ll do it.”
Walz’s non-answer about Democratic leadership is emblematic of a larger issue plaguing the party in the aftermath of the 2024 election: an identity crisis. With Biden’s presidency ending in chaos and Vice President Kamala Harris politically weakened, there is no obvious figure stepping up to unify the party.
New Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin has attempted to downplay concerns, blaming the party’s losses on “messaging” rather than policy.
“The policies that we support and the message that we have is not wrong,” Martin told The New York Times in February. “It is a messaging problem and a brand problem. Those voters are not connecting our policies with their lives.”
However, that assessment rings hollow when Democrats continue to struggle with key voter blocs, particularly working-class Americans and suburban independents. While the party leadership insists that their policies are popular, election results continue to suggest otherwise.
