The Democratic National Committee is conducting a postmortem on its 2024 election loss, but the much-anticipated report is expected to avoid analyzing major strategic decisions made by the Biden-Harris campaign, according to a recent New York Times report with intel on the matter. Instead, the DNC’s “after-action review” will concentrate on the role of outside groups and super PACs, according to six people briefed on its progress.
The review, led by veteran Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, is not expected to revisit whether President Biden should have sought reelection, whether he withdrew too late, or whether Vice President Kamala Harris was the right nominee to replace him. Nor will it address controversial campaign decisions, like the Harris campaign’s messaging strategy or its muted response to Republican attacks on transgender rights.
Party officials say the review will take a broad look at the 2024 cycle but will largely sidestep the presidential race—a move one source likened to “eating at a steakhouse and then reviewing the salad.”
The DNC’s new chairman, Ken Martin, promised a post-election assessment upon taking the helm, but his tenure so far has been marred by internal party tensions and funding challenges. State party leaders say they hope the report will drive reforms focused on voter engagement rather than advertising. “The days of us spending millions and millions of dollars on traditional TV ads are over,” said Jane Kleeb, chair of Nebraska’s Democratic Party.
Among those expected to be criticized in the report is Future Forward, the main super PAC supporting Biden and Harris, which spent $560 million during the election. The review reportedly faults the group for focusing too much on defending Harris and not enough on attacking Donald Trump, while also questioning the effectiveness and coordination of its media strategy.
While the DNC’s review is ongoing, two other efforts are also underway to assess the party’s performance. One is led by Democratic strategist Melissa Williams, the other by the Strategic Victory Fund, a network of progressive donors. Neither plans to release their findings publicly.
The DNC’s report is due this fall and, while more limited in scope than past Republican autopsies, is expected to shape Democratic strategy heading into 2026 and beyond.
