Democrats reverse course and will not reveal findings on why the party lost the 2024 election

The Democratic National Committee is backtracking on a previous pledge to release its report analyzing the party's 2024 electoral losses.

DNC Chair Ken Martin had said he would release the report's findings to the public just hours after he was elected to his position back in February.

A DNC official who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity on Wednesday said some party leaders expressed concerns about releasing the findings. According to the source, those Democrats did not want to rehash the party's electoral failures and instead focus on what is expected to be a strong midterm year for Democrats.

This year's special elections were strong for Democrats. Both Virginia and New Jersey elected a slate of Democratic state officials, including governors. In New York City, Zohran Mamdani was elected to become the city's new mayor.

Politico reviewed a portion of the report, which did not include mention of Joe Biden's age or health, and suggested Democrats are split on why former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump.

Matin issued a statement about the report, saying the party was "putting our learnings into motion."

“In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what’s important, and that’s learning from the past and winning the future,” Martin said. “Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”

He has not commented publicly on why he changed his mind.

“Of course it will be released,” Martin said in February, speaking about the 2024 autopsy report. “There has to be some lessons that we glean on that so we can operationalize it, not just here in DC, but through all of the 57 state parties, and, of course, the county parties, so people have a sense of what we need to do.”

The source speaking to Politico said the report found that Democrats were defensive about immigration and public safety, and it urged campaigns to prioritize engaging with voters rather than just canvassing and phone banking.

It also called for investments in relational organizing and year-round field infrastructure.

Regarding voters, the analysis reportedly noted the party losing the support of young voters and noted that Republicans more successfully used influencers and online culture to cultivate youth voters.

The Independent has requested comment from the DNC.