DNC Chair Ken Martin Rallies Democrats in Final Push Ahead of Key 2025 Races

With less than a week until Election Day, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is mounting an aggressive final push in New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, where party leaders say the outcome could shape the nation’s political direction heading into 2028.

DNC Chair Ken Martin told voters on a national organizing call on Oct. 30, that the party is “all hands on deck” in the final stretch to the Nov. 4 elections. The virtual event, billed as a “National Call to Action,” featured gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, along with several Democratic senators and governors.

The call kicked off a national phonebank to reach voters in both states. The DNC said Martin and other party leaders have crisscrossed the country to boost turnout in off-year contests.

Martin described organizing as “the lifeblood of the Democratic Party,” citing recent trips to Pennsylvania, California, and the East Coast to rally voters. The committee said its total investment in this year’s elections has surpassed $7 million, including $3.2 million each in New Jersey and Virginia and a six-figure payout in Pennsylvania to support the state’s Supreme Court retention races.

“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention races are among the most important elections in the nation this year,” Martin said during a recent press call. “What happens on Nov. 4 can make all the difference in the 2028 presidential election.” The DNC and Pennsylvania Democratic Party have framed the retention contests as critical to protecting abortion access, voting rights, and redistricting oversight.

Three justices—Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht—are seeking new 10-year terms on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, which currently holds a 5–2 Democratic majority. Voters will decide whether to retain each justice with a simple “yes” or “no” vote. All three were originally elected as Democrats in 2015.

Martin and Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Eugene DePasquale have said the races carry national implications, warning that if multiple justices fail to be retained, the court could lose a quorum ahead of the 2026 election cycle. Under state law, if a justice is not retained, the governor can appoint a temporary replacement with approval from the Republican-led Senate.

Republican leaders are also working to energize voters before the election. RNC Chair Joe Gruters said this week that the party is concentrating on “registering voters, turning voters out, and protecting the vote,” calling election integrity a top focus. Gruters said the GOP is filing lawsuits nationwide related to election procedures and said that President Donald Trump’s policies have strengthened Republican turnout efforts.

During Wednesday’s organizing call, Sherrill and Spanberger urged supporters to help drive turnout in the closing days. Other Democratic leaders joined the call to rally voters.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called on participants to “do everything you can in these last days.”

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said the elections offer a chance to show that “the MAGA world is not gonna win when it comes to what the people want.” Booker was referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” policy agenda.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar noted that Democrats have “overperformed” in key elections this year and called next week’s contests the party’s “biggest test yet.”

Martin will travel to New Jersey and Virginia in the coming days to campaign with both gubernatorial candidates before Election Day on Nov. 4.