DNC Scraps Release of 2024 Autopsy Report

The Democratic National Committee is scrapping the release of its long-awaited review of the 2024 election. 

The report was intended to be a comprehensive examination of the factors that led to a series of bruising Democratic losses last year. Party officials interviewed more than 300 Democrats across the country as part of the effort, which was initially cast by DNC Chair Ken Martin as a critical step towards righting the Democratic ship.

The decision to scrap the report was first reported on Thursday by The New York Times. 

A spokesperson for the DNC Did not immediately respond to C&E’s request for comment, but in a statement reported by the Times, Martin suggested that the review could prove to be counterproductive for the party as it heads into the 2026 midterm cycle.

“Here’s our North Star: Does this help us win?” Martin said in the statement. “If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”

The decision to put the 2024 report under seal comes at a pivotal moment for Democrats. The party’s candidates in states like Virginia and New Jersey scored a series of high-profile wins in this year’s elections, and Democrats have recently begun expressing a sense of renewed confidence. 

President Donald Trump’s approval numbers have plummeted since the beginning of the year. At the same time, Democrats have homed in on affordability and the cost of living as a central political theme. One Democratic consultant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss the 2024 report, applauded the DNC’s decision to withhold its publication. 

“Obviously there was a lot of curiosity about what the autopsy was going to say, but I think the reality is that this probably saves us a lot of finger-pointing,” the consultant said. “We have a message – everything is too expensive – that’s really resonating. Let’s stick with that.”

Democrats are still facing some challenges. A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday found that just 18 percent of voters approve of the way congressional Democrats are handling their job, compared to 35 percent who approve of congressional Republicans’ performance.

That same poll, however, found that 47 percent of voters say they would prefer Democrats to win control of the House, while 43 percent say they want Republicans to retain the majority.

–This report will be updated.