The wide-open race for Democratic National Committee chair already has an emerging front-runner. In a measure of outreach even his competitors have acknowledged in recent days, Ken Martin, head of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party,

Minnesota Democrats’ leader thinks the national party must communicate better in new media spaces and restore its reputation as a champion for workers.

The chairman of Minnesota Democrats, he has longstanding connections to many of the Democratic National Committee members who will choose their next leader.