The wide-open race for Democratic National Committee chair already has an emerging front-runner. In a measure of outreach even his competitors have acknowledged in recent days, Ken Martin, head of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party,

Minnesota Democrats’ leader thinks the national party must communicate better in new media spaces and restore its reputation as a champion for workers.

The chairman of Minnesota Democrats, he has longstanding connections to many of the Democratic National Committee members who will choose their next leader.

Just two weeks after a bruising presidential election, the race to lead the Democratic Party has begun in earnest, with Minnesota Democratic party chair Ken Martin and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley entering the race this week.

Minnesota Democratic Party chair Ken Martin has formally announced his bid to lead the Democratic National Committee.

Ken Martin, head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, announced Tuesday that he is running for the job. He begins the contest with support from 83 members of the DNC, he said, almost one-fifth of the body. Martin confirmed his candidacy in a text to POLITICO. It was first reported by the New York Times.

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin has put himself in the running to lead the Democratic National Committee. Martin led the Minnesota DFL for more than a decade and is known as a hard worker, a successful fundraiser and strong party builder.

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor chair Ken Martin, who's led the state party for more than a decade, on Tuesday announced a bid to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party looks to rebuild in wake of bruising electoral defeats this month.