American Federation of Teachers union President Randi Weingarten, a longtime influential member of the Democratic National Committee, is leaving the DNC, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO.
Weingarten, who has been a member of the DNC for 23 years, wrote to DNC Chair Ken Martin that she had fundamental disagreements with leadership.
“I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging,” she said in the letter dated June 5, “and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more of our communities.”
Weingarten has defended former DNC vice chair David Hogg, who was ousted last week from the committee, as he has come under fire over his decision to fund primary challenges against Democrats that he sees as ineffective in safe-blue districts.
“Randi has gotten applause from the members when she told them, much to her dismay as a proud Dem,” said a spokesperson for Weingarten.
Martin told DNC officers and staff in a recent private conversation that Hogg had “essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to” and “I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” as POLITICO first reported.
Weingarten sat on the DNC’s powerful rules and bylaws committee since 2009, and has been a delegate to Democratic conventions since 1992.
A spokesperson for the DNC did not immediately provide comment for this story.
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