ABC13 has 1-on-1 with new Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Democratic Party has a new chairman, and he is making the rounds organizing across the country in the weeks after Republicans took control of the White House and Capitol Hill.

Ken Martin, who's from Minnesota, is a labor leader there and now moves south and east to D.C. to run what has effectively become the opposition party. He knows Democrats have a lot of work to do before 2026 and the midterms.

"We're calling it the 'Organize Everywhere' tour," Martin told ABC13. "It's a simple premise that if we're going to win throughout this country and get back into power, we have to organize everywhere. We're visiting red states, purple states, and blue states on this tour. And Texas really is the future of the Democratic Party. This is such a critical battleground state as we move forward in the 2026 elections -- of course, the 28 election cycle and beyond."

Martin was in Houston to listen and learn. He knows that Democrats lost ground in Texas after years of making gains.

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Donald Trump won by a large margin in Texas and Republicans gained traction in communities that historically voted Democrat.

"The majority of Americans now believe that the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and the elite," Martin said. "That's just a damning indictment on our party and it's not true at all. Unfortunately, that's how people feel."

It comes down to the economy, as it almost always does, and that is where the real work begins for Martin and the Democrats.

"We have to focus on those kitchen table issues, focus on the policies that help improve their lives, and make sure that they know we're fighting for them and we haven't forgotten them," he said.

So where exactly did the Democrats lose ground in Texas?

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After a tight election, Harris County Republicans believe they're "back," while Democrats admit they need to do a better job of sharing their message.

While support remained steady with Black women from 2020 to 2024, among Black men, there was a 20% shift at the top of the ticket from one presidential election to the next.

For Latino or Hispanic men, the shift to Trump was 15% and 13% away from the Democratic nominee.

And with Latino or Hispanic women, it was 12% in favor of Trump.

"We have to earn their trust back, and part of that is not just showing up a few months before the election and asking them for their vote," Martin said. "We have to get back to organizing year-round where we're building trust with communities around shared values."

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