DNC Chair Ken Martin Says Democrats Win by Organizing, Not Outspending

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in an interview after Tuesday's midterm elections that Democrats do not need to outraise Republicans to win. He argued that the results showed organizing matters more than a fundraising edge.

"We don't need to raise more money than them. We need to get out there, use the money to organize, and that's how we win," Martin said.

Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot by 9 points in PolitiKool's polling average.

Ken Martin Points to the Tarrant County Texas Senate Flip

Martin called himself "a field guy" and credited his first boss, Paul Wellstone.

"I believe the way you win elections is the way my first boss Paul Wellstone taught us. It's not about who raises the most money, it's actually who can inspire the most number of people," Martin said. "Door to door, neighbor to neighbor, person to person. That's how you win."

His main example was Taylor Rehmet, the Democrat who won a January 31 special election runoff for Texas Senate District 9 in Fort Worth's Tarrant County. Rehmet beat Republican Leigh Wambsganss by 14 points to fill the seat left vacant by Republican Kelly Hancock. Donald Trump carried the district by more than 17 points in 2024, and no Democrat had represented it in nearly half a century, the Texas Tribune reported.

Martin said Rehmet won even though "his opponent raised $2.5 million to his $360,000." Martin's $360,000 figure for Rehmet is lower than the $570,000 the Tribune found in its review of state filings, which put Wambsganss's campaign at about $2.6 million. About $1.6 million of her money came from three major GOP groups, including the Texas Senate Leadership Fund started by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

Did Democrats Win 'All the Seats' in Tarrant County?

"By the way, we won all the seats on Tuesday night there, too," Martin said.

Tarrant County was one of the night's biggest Democratic stories, though Martin's claim goes further than the results. Rehmet led Wambsganss again, 51 percent to 49 percent. Democrat Alisa Simmons led Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare with 56.4 percent. Democrats also led in the district attorney race (Tiffany Burks) and the county clerk race (Lydia Bean), and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico carried the county with nearly 59 percent, according to unofficial results compiled by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

But Republican Representatives Craig Goldman, Roger Williams, Jake Ellzey and Beth Van Duyne all led in congressional districts that include parts of the county. Republicans also led in several Tarrant state House seats, and Republican David Cook led in Texas Senate District 22. The same results show some races still only partly reported.

Money vs. Organizing in the 2026 Midterms

"That played itself out across the country," Martin said of Democrats winning while outspent.

The national record supports one half of that. Outside groups backing Republicans outspent those backing Democrats by nearly $400 million, Spectrum News reported, in a cycle OpenSecrets projected would cost nearly $12 billion. Elon Musk alone put more than $150 million into PACs supporting Republican Ken Paxton in Texas.

In that Texas Senate race, the candidates' own fundraising ran the other way. Talarico raised $145 million from individual donors, compared with $22 million for Paxton, Spectrum News reported. Statewide, with 90 percent of votes counted, Talarico led Paxton 54.6 percent to 43.5 percent in unofficial returns, the Star-Telegram reported.

So Talarico faced heavy outside spending against him, including more than $150 million from Musk alone, while outraising Paxton's campaign. Rehmet, in Martin's main example, was outspent by his opponent's campaign itself. Martin did not say money was irrelevant. His point was that Democrats should spend it on reaching voters directly.

What Comes Next for Ken Martin's DNC

The money-versus-field debate has run through the Democratic Party for decades. Martin's answer, in his words, is to "use the money to organize."

Whether Tarrant County's swing holds without a matching fundraising edge, with Donald Trump's approval at 38.2% in PolitiKool's polling average, is the test Martin's argument now faces.