David Hogg is a 25-year-old political activist and, for now, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. A survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hogg first drew national attention for speaking out vigorously in favor of gun control. He has since become an all-purpose progressive campaigner.
He is controversial, even among Democratic circles, because he has clashed with the party's establishment. He previously pledged to spend $20 million to primary members of his own party, though he insisted that he would only target Democrats who reside in safe districts. His thinking is that elected Democrats are too old and that the current iteration of the party fails to appeal to younger voters, particularly young males. Hogg is definitely onto something there: Donald Trump made huge inroads with Gen Z voters, in part because Democratic messaging to young men failed to resonate with them.
Hogg made a version of this argument on Bill Maher's show last weekend, and the comedian was impressed enough to give Hogg a standing ovation and shake his hand. Hogg also won over centrist Democratic strategist James Carville, who had previously called him a "twerp."
