An outspoken 24-year-old gun control activist has been elected to help head the Democratic National Committee.
On Saturday, DNC members voted to elect a new slate of officers to oversee the group. Elected as one of three Vice Chairs was David Hogg, a Florida man who wrote a slim yet best-selling book as part of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's 2018 class and helped found the March for Our Lives gun control group.
Hogg has publicly called for a ban on common semi-automatic firearms on scores of occasions over the past seven years.
He has also gone so far as to argue that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution doesn't support an individual right to keep and bear arms, instead reserving it just for the National Guard.
"You have no right to a gun," posted Hogg on Feb. 26, 2023. "You are not a militia. When you’re talking about your second amendment rights you’re talking about a states [sic] right to have what is today the national guard. The modern interpretation of 2A is a ridiculous fraud pushed for decades by the gun lobby."
Hogg's victory was celebrated by the Florida DNC.
"Congratulations to our new DNC Vice Chair, David Hogg,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. “David Hogg’s journey is truly remarkable — from Parkland survivor to national gun violence prevention advocate to now, the first member of Gen Z to serve as Vice Chair of the DNC. David’s unique life experiences and skills will transform the way Democrats engage with young voters and elevate how we run campaigns."
Fried, who was in charge of the Sunshine State's gun permits as the Florida commissioner of agriculture from 2019 to 2023, has also been the subject of controversy. Backed for office by billionaire anti-gun crusader Michael Bloomberg's Everytown group, she made news by suspending the permits of those in her database accused of taking part in the J6 event at the U.S. Capitol. She was also characterized as slow-walking new permits and permit renewals during the COVID outbreak even though Florida was by and large "open for business" during the pandemic.
Everytown has long made it a staple of its work to promote and position members and allies for political office at all levels. During the last election cycle, the national anti-gun group stood up more than 300 members for public offices. The group allocated $7.5 million to train 600 members on how best to seek office last September.
