The once-sleepy race to chair the Democratic National Committee has turned into a more contentious — and unsettled — affair as candidates jockey to lead the party and repair its brand following its disappointing losses in the November election.

Democrats are rebranding their national perception in response to voters who not only returned Trump to office but handed the GOP control over both chambers of Congress. Several DNC chair candidates have acknowledged that the party needs a more effective manner of communicating to the public upset over the economy and immigration.

Desperate to bounce back after their 2024 drubbing, Democrats look for new leadership at the dawn of a second Trump administration

During a forum in Detroit that pitted candidates against one another, Democrats protected those still inside the tent.