The D.N.C.’s New Leader Seeks to Curb Dark Money Influence in 2028 Primaries

Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, is taking a symbolic step toward curbing the influence of undisclosed and corporate funds in his party’s 2028 presidential primary, a move that is likely to instigate a broader conversation about the role of big money in Democratic politics.

Mr. Martin’s proposal, which was included in a packet of documents to be sent to D.N.C. members that was obtained by The New York Times, seeks to have a new reforms committee propose “real, enforceable steps the D.N.C. can take to eliminate unlimited corporate and dark money in its 2028 presidential primary process” by the summer of 2026.

The move is the first significant maneuver from Mr. Martin to shape the party’s next presidential nominating process. How much bite the effort has will be determined in large part by the enforcement mechanism the party seeks to implement.

Efforts to curb the influence of super PACs, which can take in unlimited contributions but must disclose their donors, in the 2020 Democratic primaries failed when the party’s leading candidates — from Joseph R. Biden Jr. to Elizabeth Warren — accepted and encouraged support from such outside groups.

Candidates already cannot accept so-called dark money contributions directly to their campaigns. Most of the dark money in Democratic politics is routed through issue-advocacy groups that are forbidden to coordinate directly with candidates and have not traditionally had much involvement in party primaries.

Mr. Martin’s proposal notably does not attempt to address the role of super PACs or direct-but-limited contributions from corporations like those the D.N.C. accepts.

At a moment when Democrats are calling on each other to “fight fire with fire” against Republicans on redistricting and other matters, Mr. Martin, who through a spokeswoman declined to be interviewed, wrote in his resolution that the party is obligated to demonstrate its willingness to reject certain types of donations if it hopes to win the trust of voters.

It is unclear how the D.N.C. could enforce possible penalties against candidates who have support from outside groups with whom they may not be coordinating. Or whether, as President Trump and Republicans are moving to curb Democrats’ ability to regain power in 2026 and beyond, the party is willing to repel progressive donors who are willing to give unlimited amounts of money.

“As Democrats fight to win back the branches of government, the D.N.C. must take immediate steps to demonstrate our party’s commitment to this issue and show that we will ‘walk the walk’ at every opportunity,” Mr. Martin wrote. “The D.N.C. encourages Democratic officeholders and candidates at all levels of government to support efforts to reduce the influence of corporate and dark money in their campaign policy platforms, and to lead by example in rejecting such donations.”

The attempt to bar certain types of donors from Democratic presidential primary politics — Mr. Martin’s proposal does not mention the general election — comes as he has struggled to raise money in the opening months of his tenure as D.N.C. chairman.

Mr. Martin has alienated some of the party’s major donors, including some of the same people who bankroll dark-money organizations, while overseeing a still-ongoing review of the 2024 election that is said to be focused more on the actions of outside groups than on the presidential campaign itself.

Ridding the D.N.C. of certain types of large donors has long been a priority of some progressives, particularly those aligned with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Mr. Sanders in June called on the D.N.C. to ban super PACs from Democratic primaries, a move Mr. Martin’s proposal does not seek.