Just two weeks after a bruising presidential election, the race to lead the Democratic Party has begun in earnest, with Minnesota Democratic party chair Ken Martin and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley entering the race this week.

Martin O’Malley, former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor, to seek Democratic National Committee chairmanship

The former Maryland governor told POLITICO he’ll resign as head of the Social Security Administration at the end of the month.

Martin O'Malley has resigned as Social Security Administration commissioner to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, according to the letter he sent President Joe Biden on Monday.

Mr. O’Malley, who ran for president in 2016, is the first candidate to announce a bid to lead the reeling Democratic Party as it faces two years of powerlessness in Washington.

"I'm running to fix the problem, O'Malley said on NewsNation's "The Hill." "We can. There's always a light at the end of darkness."

Martin O'Malley and Ken Martin are the two candidates are currently vying to lead the DNC, left in disarray after the 2024 elections.

The Democratic National Committee announced on Monday that it will hold its chair’s election on Feb. 1, an early indicator of the party’s direction following Kamala Harris’ stinging loss this month. The contest will be held at the committee’s winter meeting at the National Harbor in Maryland that begins on Jan.