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The 6 best 65-inch TVs of 2024 offer a sharp picture and immersive sound
LG OLED Evo G4 Smart TV
For an average size room, you can’t go wrong with one of the latest 65-inch TVs. Any of the models in this roundup can provide a sharp and vibrant picture on a screen large enough to nicely showcase your favorite TV shows, sports, movies, games and more.
Just about every major TV brand — including LG, Hisense, Samsung and Roku — offer 65-inch smart TVs that provide 4K UHD resolution (or higher) with a 120Hz refresh rate (or higher) and speakers that generate clear and room-filling sound. While the tech in the latest 65-inch TVs keeps getting better, prices continue to drop. So, whatever your budget, finding the perfect TV is easier than ever.
If you’re looking for a larger size smart TV for your home, check out our updated coverage of the best 75-inch TVs.
What is the best 65-inch smart TV?
These top-rated TVs run in price from anywhere between $400 and $3,500. Most of our picks feature 4K resolution, but as you’re about to discover, if you really want a 65-inch TV that’s on the cutting edge, there are some very compelling 8K resolution options, too.
Best 65″ TV overall: LG 65″ OLED Evo G4
LG
Display type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz for gaming) | Operating System: WebOS 24 | Max. Brightness: 3,000 nits | HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, USB, Ethernet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 | Key features: Filmmaker mode, Dolby Atmos, AI upscaling, Multi-view, Gallery mode, AMD FreeSync, Nvidia G-Sync, ThinQ app support | Speakers: 4.2 channel | Overall dimensions: 56.7 x 32.5 x 1 inches (without stand) | Weight: 52.5 pounds
When it comes to LG’s 2024 models of its G4 Series smart TVs, bigger is better. This new TV lineup replaces the 2023 G3 series. Choose between a 55-inch ($2,600), 65-inch ($3,400), 77-inch ($4,600), 83-inch ($6,500) or 97-inch ($25,000) model — all of which offer stunning picture quality that takes full advantage of the latest OLED display technology. For an average size room, this 65-inch model offers excellent picture quality and a generous selection of high-end features.
These beauties offer more than 8 million self-lit pixels to showcase brighter, more accurate and more vivid colors than ever before — 100% color volume with 100% color fidelity. This series of TVs is 150% brighter than the B4 series TVs from just a few years ago. And these new TVs offer a faster and more powerful processor with even better AI-based upscaling.
These 4K Ultra HD TVs feature a 3,840-by-2,160 pixel resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. Each supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, plus LG’s OLED Motion technology that ensures fast-moving content (like live sports or an action movie) appears smooth. That’s all thanks to LG’s a11 AI Processor 4K and the robust WebOS 24 operating system.
One feature we love: The TV’s enhanced multi-view capabilities let you watch four things at once. And the TV’s internal speakers offer 4.2 channels (that include down-firing speakers) with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. So even without a soundbar, you can expect impressive sound to complement the premium picture.
Most popular 65″ TV with our readers: 2024 Samsung’s Frame (LS03D)
Samsung
Display type: QLED (Matte finish) | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate:120Hz | Operating System: Tizen | Max. Brightness: 670 nits | HDR Support: Quantum HDR, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, Ethernet, USBm, Optical, Ex-Link | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2 | Key features: Matte finish (non-reflective) displays, Interchangeable bezels, Dolby Atmos, Pantone validated, Art mode, One Connect Box support, Solar powered remote, Brightness and motion sensor, GameHub | Speakers: 2.0.2 channel | Overall dimensions: 57.4 x 32.8 x 1 inches (without stand) | Weight: 49.4 pounds
Powered by the Tizen OS that gives you easy access to your favorite shows, movies and more, the 2024 edition of the 65-inch Frame continues to offer some unique perks. The TV rocks a thin bezel and a customizable picture frame. So when the TV is on your wall, it looks like a piece of artwork. Plus, when you’re not watching anything, it automatically displays either famous works of art or your favorite digital photos. In other words, there’s never just an unattractive black rectangle hanging on your wall.
This 2024 edition of the TV is Pantone-validated. This means all colors are more accurate and vivid than ever. When viewing a painting, you can see the subtle transition or blending of color and paint brush strokes, just as the artist intended. And Samsung now includes a fresh selection of 20 art pieces per month to display on the TV for free. However, if you subscribe to the art service, you get access to more than 2,500 artworks from world-famous artists.
Also, to make artwork look more realistic, the Frame uses a non-glare matte finish, which also makes TV shows or movies look more lifelike. Thanks to the Frame’s slim, inch-thick design, it truly looks like a hanging picture frame –- yet it use QLED tech to showcase 4K resolution content with HDR support and Quantum Dot technology that can showcase more than a billion colors.
Connecting a console gaming system to the Frame is easy via an HDMI cable. The TV automatically adjusts its settings to each game you play. Using the Game Hub, you can pair wireless controllers with the TV and play online games from subscription services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass without a console.
The Frame continues to be the most popular TV for our readers. Choose between a handful of bezel colors and styles (sold separately) to make it fit in with your existing decor. Additional bezel designs are offered by third parties and sold through Amazon. Each attaches to the outer edge of the TV in under a minute or two and uses magnets — no tools. If, like many of our readers, you’re intrigued by what the Frame has to offer, be sure to check out our detailed hands-on review of this popular and rather unique smart TV. Plus, you can learn about 7 things I love about the new 2024 Frame TV (and 3 things I hate).
Best budget 65″ TV: Roku 65″ Select Series TV
Amazon
Display type: LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating System: RokuOS | HDR Support: HDR10+, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, Ethernet, Composite, Optical | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 | Key features: Roku streaming built in, Voice remote, Dolby Audio support, Works with AirPlay and Google Home | Speakers: 2.1 channel (stereo) | Overall dimensions: 571. X 35.6 x 13.2 inches (without stand) | Weight: 36.6 pounds
Ideal for a guest bedroom, child’s room, or anywhere you need an additional TV, the Roku 65-inch Select Series TV is an affordable smart TV option that offers an impressive 4K-resolution picture and Roku streaming technology. Just connect the TV to your Wi-Fi and it’s ready to stream content from all of the services you subscribe to, along with free programming from the Roku Channel.
This TV offers a bezel-less design and supports HDR10+. It also comes with a voice remote. While this is a no-frills TV, it does automatically adjust picture brightness as ambient light changes in your viewing space, so you won’t need to tinker with the settings.
The remote has a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack, so someone can enjoy a private listening experience, plus the Roku app allows you to remotely control the TV using your smartphone. To achieve higher-quality and room filling audio, we recommend connecting the optional Roku Streambar Pro ($170).
Best value 65″ TV: Hisense Class U8 Series mini-LED ULED 4K Google TV
Hisense
Display type: Mini-LED ULED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: Up to 144Hz | Operating System: Google TV | Max. Brightness: 3,000 nits | HDR Support: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, Ethernet, USB, Composite, Optical | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Key features: Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, Game Mode, 4K upscaling, Voice remote, Hey Google support, AirPlay, Filmmaker Mode | Speakers: 2.1.2 channels (virtual surround sound) | Overall dimensions: 57.2 x 3.31 x 3 inches (without stand | Weight: 56.4 pounds
This 2024 version of the Hisense Class U8 mini-LED ULED TV packs a lot of high-end features into a TV under $1,150. This is a 65-inch TV with a native 144Hz refresh rate. It also offers full-array local dimming; expect a consistently bright and clear picture with impressive contrast and depth.
When it come to gaming, the Game Mode Pro feature makes your console games look and sound fantastic, automatically adjusting its settings to best showcase whatever you’re playing. Plus online gaming is accessible directly from the TV. And when it comes to watching movies, the Filmmaker mode, boosted by Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos sound, ensures that the you see and hear exactly what a director intended. If you’re a fan of high-action sports, the TV’s AI Sports mode does an excellent job displaying high-action content smoothly.
You can count on accurate colors, too, since the TV can showcase more than one billion of them, while providing excellent contrast. The AI-based HDR Enhancement feature does a nice job automatically enhancing color and detail in real time, regardless of what you’re watching. We’re also fans of the Google TV OS. It provides easy access to all of the video streaming services you subscribe to, plus voice control over the TV.
Thanks to this TV’s maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, even if you’re watching TV in a brightly lit viewing space, the picture quality will remain bright and sharp. This Hisense U8 smart TV is a mid-priced option that offers a really good value for the price. It’s perfect for a smaller living room, average bedroom, guest room, or family room.
Best OLED 65″ smart TV: Samsung S95D OLED 4K
Samsung
Display type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz) | Operating System: Tizen | Max. Brightness: 1,700 nits | HDR Support: HDR Pro, HDR10+, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, Optical, EX-Link | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2 | Key features: Pantone validates color, Glare-free display, Filmmaker mode, Game Hub, 4K Ai upscaling, Dolby Atmos, Q-Symphony support, One Connect support | Speakers: 4.2.2 channel | Overall dimensions: 56.8 x 32.7 x 0.4 inches (without stand) | Weight: 41.7pounds
Whatever your viewing pleasures, you can’t go wrong with the 2024 Samsung S95D OLED smart TV. It runs using Samsung’s Tizen operating system, so you get access to all of your favorite streaming video services using an easy to navigate interface. We love that this TV is one of the few that’s Pantone-validated, so you know all of the colors will showcase lifelike accuracy, detail and brightness.
When you use this Samsung TV with any of the company’s soundbars, surround-sound systems, or the new Samsung Music Frame speakers ($398 each), you can take advantage of Q-Symphony. Use the TV’s internal speakers in conjunction with Samsung speakers to create more immersive sound with a broader soundstage and added intensity.
All of the other features you’d expect from a higher-end TV are also bundled into the S95D, including a stunning OLED display that’s virtually glare-free. Picture quality and overall performance is top-notch. The built in speakers support Dolby Atmos, so even without a soundbar or surround sound system, you still get virtual surround sound. And even when you’re not watching native 4K content, the TV does an impressive job using AI for upscaling picture quality in real time.
The S95D also gives you unlimited access to Samsung TV Plus — free, live, on-demand programming. This is a nice complement to whatever video streaming services you already subscribe to. We’re fans of this TV’s Filmmaker mode and Gaming Hub, so blockbuster movies and your favorite games will always look and sound their absolute best.
If you’re looking for a high-end TV that can easily become the centerpiece of a home theater system in your living room or bedroom, we highly suggest considering the 2024 Samsung S95D. It comes in a 55-inch ($2,600), 65-inch ($3,400) or 77-inch ($4,600) screen size.
Best premium 8K 65″ smart TV: Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K
Amazon
Display type: QLED (Mini-LED) | Resolution: 8K | Refresh rate: 120Hz (8K), Up to 240Hz (4K) | Operating System: Tizen | Max. Brightness: 2,000 nits | HDR Support: HDR 8K+, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | Main ports: HDMI eARC, HDMI, USB Type-A, USB Type-C, Optical | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Key features: Multi-view with up to 4 videos; Supports the SmartThings app; Anti-reflective display, Q-Symphony and Dolby Atmos audio support; FreeSync Premium Pro support for gaming | Speakers: 6.2.4 channel | Overall dimensions: 56.4 x 32.1 x 0.5 inches (without stand) inches | Weight: 47.6 pounds
The 2024 Samsung NEO QLED 8K (QN900D) represents the very best of what 8K and AI tech has to offer. As soon as you watch any live sporting event or your favorite blockbuster movies on this TV, you’ll see exactly what we mean. We love this 8K TV for so many reasons, starting with its thin and bezel-less design. But it’s the picture quality that’s truly stunning.
As you watch any native 4K content, this TV upscales the visuals, so what you see are incredibly bright, vivid and accurate colors combined with fluid motion and a remarkable level of contrast and depth. When this TV relies on its upscaling capabilities, it’s also using 512 AI neural networks in real time, along with an AI-powered motion enhancer and auto HDR remastering. In simple language: All this creates visuals like you’ve never seen before on a consumer TV. Combine this with Dolby Atmos and object-tracking sound, and your viewing experience is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
For true sports fans who what the most detailed and fluid home viewing, this is the TV you want. A 75-inch ($6,300 and 85-inch ($8,000) version of this 2024 model 8K TV are also available. For more information about the perks of an 8K resolution TV and the most compelling reasons to buy one, read out coverage of the four best 8K TVs in 2024, as well as our in-depth review of the 2024 Samsung QN900D.
How to pick the best 65-inch smart TV
Pay attention to the operating system. Some of the more popular options are Google TV, Tizen, WebOS, Roku TV and Fire TV. While the interface used by each operating system is different, all offer access to the popular streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Paramount+. Most also offer access to at least one voice-controlled digital assistant, such as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. This means you can control the TV using voice commands, in addition to using the included handheld remote control.
Resolution is also important. You want a TV that supports 4K, ideally with a 120Hz refresh rate. Upscaling that utilizes AI allows the TV to automatically transform lower resolution content into a picture quality that’s as close to 4K as possible. The screen’s refresh rate impacts both picture quality and the smoothness of fast action scenes (like when playing games or watching sports or action movies). The best 65-inch TVs also support Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG and HDR10+, which impacts the vibrancy and accuracy of the colors, as well as how much picture detail you’ll see.
Many of the best 65-inch TVs offer a wide viewing angle, which means someone does not need to be sitting directly in front of the TV to enjoy seeing the highest quality picture. Keep in mind, some of the less expensive 65-inch TVs offer a narrower viewing angle, which is probably fine in a bedroom. However, if multiple people will be watching the TV in a living room, not everyone will be able to sit directly in front of the screen. When people will be sitting off to the sides, this is when a wider viewing angle is beneficial.
While you can easily find a basic 65-inch TV for less than $600, plan on spending between $1,000 and $3,000 for a high-quality TV from a premium brand. These typically offer added features, like a display with a higher maximum brightness, plenty of ports and special viewing modes for watching movies, sports or games. TVs with an OLED display will cost more.
Keep in mind, most 65-inch TVs are rather thin. This means that the built-in speaker system will be adequate (providing stereo audio), but the audio will rarely sound immersive. For this, you’ll want to connect a soundbar or surround sound system to the the TV.
If you’re shopping for any type of TV, we recommend checking out our coverage of the six best TVs for 2024, the five best TVs for video gamers and LG’s gorgeous new Evo G4 and C4 OLED TVs. We’ve also compiled a curated collection of the five best home projectors for 2024 and the six best TV soundbars for 2024. All of our latest tech coverage, which is continuously updated, is here to help you.
Oklahoma is preparing to execute a man who killed a 10-year-old girl in what would be the nation’s 25th and final execution of the year.
Kevin Ray Underwood is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday, his 45th birthday, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Underwood, a former grocery store worker, was sentenced to die for killing Jamie Rose Bolin in 2006 as part of a cannibalistic fantasy.
Underwood admitted to luring Jamie into his apartment and beating her over the head with a cutting board before suffocating and sexually assaulting her. He told investigators that he nearly beheaded the girl in his bathtub before abandoning his plans to eat her.
Sue Ogrocki / AP
Oklahoma uses a three-drug lethal injection process that begins with the sedative midazolam followed by a second drug that paralyzes the inmate to halt their breathing and a third that stops their heart.
During a hearing last week before the state’s Pardon and Parole Board, Underwood told the girl’s family he was sorry.
“I would like to apologize to the victim’s family, to my own family and to everyone in that room today that had to hear the horrible details of what I did,” Underwood said to the board via a video feed from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
The three board members in attendance at last week’s meeting all voted against recommending clemency.
Underwood’s attorneys had argued that he deserved to be spared from death because of his long history of abuse and serious mental health issues that included autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar and panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizotypal personality disorder and various deviant sexual paraphilias.
His mother, Connie Underwood, tearfully asked the board to grant her son mercy.
“I can’t imagine the heartache the family of that precious girl is living with every single day,” Connie Underwood said. “I wish we understood his pain before it led to this tragedy.”
But several members of Bolin’s family asked the board to reject Underwood’s clemency bid. The girl’s father, Curtis Bolin, was scheduled to testify to the board but became choked up as he held his head in his hand.
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” he said.
Prosecutors wrote in opposing Underwood’s clemency request that, “Whatever deviance of the mind led Underwood to abduct, beat, suffocate, sexually abuse and nearly decapitate Jamie cannot be laid at the feet of depression, anxiety or (autism).
“Underwood is dangerous because he is smart, organized and driven by deviant sexual desires rooted in the harm and abuse of others.”
In a last-minute request seeking a stay of execution from the U.S. Supreme Court, Underwood’s attorneys argued that he deserves a hearing before the full five-member parole board and that the panel violated state law and Underwood’s rights by rescheduling its hearing at the last minute after two members of the board resigned.
When Michael Adams was researching health insurance options last year, he had one very specific requirement: coverage for prosthetic limbs.
Adams, 51, lost his right leg to cancer 40 years ago, and he has worn out more legs than he can count. He picked a gold plan on the Colorado health insurance marketplace that covered prosthetics, including microprocessor-controlled knees like the one he has used for many years. That function adds stability and helps prevent falls.
But when his leg needed replacing in January after about five years of everyday use, his new marketplace health plan wouldn’t authorize it. The roughly $50,000 leg with the electronically controlled knee wasn’t medically necessary, the insurer said, even though Colorado law leaves that determination up to the patient’s doctor, and his has prescribed a version of that leg for many years, starting when he had employer-sponsored coverage.
“The electronic prosthetic knee is life-changing,” said Adams, who lives in Lafayette, Colorado, with his wife and two kids. Without it, “it would be like going back to having a wooden leg like I did when I was a kid.” The microprocessor in the knee responds to different surfaces and inclines, stiffening up if it detects movement that indicates its user is falling.
Alana Adams
People who need surgery to replace a joint typically don’t encounter similar coverage roadblocks. In 2021, 1.5 million knee or hip joint replacements were performed in United States hospitals and hospital-owned ambulatory facilities, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ. The median price for a total hip or knee replacement without complications at top orthopedic hospitals was just over $68,000 in 2020, according to one analysis, though health plans often negotiate lower rates.
To people in the amputee community, the coverage disparity amounts to discrimination.
“Insurance covers a knee replacement if it’s covered with skin, but if it’s covered with plastic, it’s not going to cover it,” said Jeffrey Cain, a family physician and former chair of the board of the Amputee Coalition, an advocacy group. Cain wears two prosthetic legs, having lost his after an airplane accident nearly 30 years ago.
AHIP, a trade group for health plans, said health plans generally provide coverage when the prosthetic is determined to be medically necessary, such as to replace a body part or function for walking and day-to-day activity. In practice, though, prosthetic coverage by private health plans varies tremendously, said Ashlie White, chief strategy and programs officer at the Amputee Coalition. Even though coverage for basic prostheses may be included in a plan, “often insurance companies will put caps on the devices and restrictions on the types of devices approved,” White said.
That means that a patient’s costs can also fluctuate significantly, depending on that person’s coverage specifics, the plan’s restrictions and even geographic cost differences.
An estimated 2.3 million people are living with limb loss in the U.S., according to an analysis by Avalere, a health care consulting company. That number is expected to as much as double in coming years as people age and a growing number lose limbs to diabetes, trauma and other medical problems.
Fewer than half of people with limb loss have been prescribed a prosthesis, according to a report by the AHRQ. Plans may deny coverage for prosthetic limbs by claiming they aren’t medically necessary or are experimental devices, even though microprocessor-controlled knees like Adams’ have been in use for decades.
Cain was instrumental in getting passed a 2000 Colorado law that requires insurers to cover prosthetic arms and legs at parity with Medicare, which requires coverage with a 20% coinsurance payment. Since that measure was enacted, about half of states have passed “insurance fairness” laws that require prosthetic coverage on par with other covered medical services in a plan or laws that require coverage of prostheses that enable people to do sports. But these laws apply only to plans regulated by the state. Over half of people with private coverage are in plans not governed by state law.
The Medicare program’s 80% coverage of prosthetic limbs mirrors its coverage for other services. Still, an October report by the Government Accountability Office found that only 30% of beneficiaries who lost a limb in 2016 received a prosthesis in the following three years.
Cost is a factor for many people.
“No matter your coverage, most people have to pay something on that device,” White said. As a result, “many people will be on a payment plan for their device,” she said. Some may take out loans.
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule that would prohibit lenders from repossessing medical devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs if people can’t repay their loans.
“It is a replacement limb,” said White, whose organization has heard of several cases in which lenders have repossessed wheelchairs or prostheses. Repossession is “literally a punishment to the individual.”
Adams ultimately owed a coinsurance payment of about $4,000 for his new leg, which reflected his portion of the insurer’s negotiated rate for the knee and foot portion of the leg but did not include the costly part that fits around his stump, which didn’t need replacing. The insurer approved the prosthetic leg on appeal, claiming it had made an administrative error, Adams said.
“We’re fortunate that we’re able to afford that 20%,” said Adams, who is a self-employed leadership consultant.
Again, out-of-pocket costs – even if the patient has health insurance and a doctor’s prescription – can be cost-prohibitive because of the plan’s co-insurance requirements as well as coverage caps or other limitations.
Leah Kaplan doesn’t have that financial flexibility. Born without a left hand, she did not have a prosthetic limb until a few years ago.
Growing up, “I didn’t want more reasons to be stared at,” said Kaplan, 32, of her decision not to use a prosthesis. A few years ago, the cycling enthusiast got a prosthetic hand specially designed for use with her bike. That device was covered under the health plan she has through her county government job in Spokane, Washington, helping developmentally disabled people transition from school to work.
But when she tried to get approval for a prosthetic hand to use for everyday activities, her health plan turned her down. The myoelectric hand she requested would respond to electrical impulses in her arm that would move the hand to perform certain actions. Without insurance coverage, the hand would cost her just over $46,000, which she said she can’t afford.
Working with her doctor, she has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times. Kaplan said she’s still not sure exactly what the rationale is, except that the insurer has questioned the medical necessity of the prosthetic hand. The next step is to file an appeal with an independent review organization certified by the state insurance commissioner’s office.
A prosthetic hand is not a luxury device, Kaplan said. The prosthetic clinic has ordered the hand and made the customized socket that will fit around the end of her arm. But until insurance coverage is sorted out, she can’t use it.
At this point, she feels defeated. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Kaplan said.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.
Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
Martin O’Malley has the kind of experience that would typically benefit a Democrat who wants to guide the party’s future after devastating losses in the last election.
He’s a former governor, former mayor and a 2016 presidential candidate who until recently was serving in President Joe Biden’s administration. Yet O’Malley is facing a difficult path in the race to try and become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee as the party reckons with the reality that key pockets of voters turned against it.
Vital to O’Malley’s attempt is a campaign platform, first reported by CBS News, that calls for reconnecting the Democratic Party “to the kitchen table of every American family.”
“We suffered a very bad loss,” O’Malley said in an interview, urging Democrats “to learn from it in order to win the next battles ahead.”
His vision is centered on a 57-state and territory strategy along with plans to give campaigns “world-class AI tools for voter outreach, research, communications, and financial management, eliminating barriers to effective campaigning.” O’Malley’s pitch is also focused on “re-investing in direct voter registration,” as part of his pledge for the party to make “voter protection and registration the pillars of the change we need to win.”
Democrats weathered a chaotic election cycle in 2024, punctuated by the push within the party to convince President Biden to end his reelection run after a dismal debate performance in June. While Mr. Biden eventually ended his bid in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket, the 107-day sprint that followed resulted in Democrats losing the White House and Senate while failing, albeit narrowly, to win control of the House.
Now the party is essentially leaderless and preparing for an emboldened Donald Trump to return to Washington, where he’ll be able to benefit from Republicans’ unified control of Congress and the White House. Those dynamics will be well in play at the time of the election for DNC chair on Feb. 1 given the unease among Democrats that has been abundantly clear in the weeks following the presidential election.
“I want to see someone who doesn’t come from the Washington circuit, who actually has been out there in the tissue of the country,” Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a battleground district Democrat, said of the DNC chair race.
Failure can mean opportunity. The party’s struggles means O’Malley, as well as other ambitious Democrats, have a chance to become the next chair and carry wide ranging influence during a critical time for the party as it looks to regain ground in the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election. For all his apparent vulnerabilities, Trump was far more successful in this election than ever before, winning all seven presidential battlegrounds. Whether what happened in 2024 will become a tangible turning point for Democrats is likely to loom over the chair race in the coming weeks.
“That’s the big shift that’s happened with this election going the wrong way on us,” O’Malley said. “We’re now in a mode of needing a changemaker, not a caretaker.”
Among those running for chair, Ken Martin, the leader of Minnesota’s arm of the Democratic Party and a DNC vice chair, as well as Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, are seen as frontrunners. Martin has deep relationships within the DNC and can boast a statewide winning streak for candidates in Minnesota, while Wikler carries the political gravitas of helping lead the party in one of the nation’s seven presidential battlegrounds.
Earlier this month, Martin announced a framework which includes his drive for a “Democratic infrastructure in all 3,244 counties,” across the country, as well as taking on the branding problem evident from the 2024 election results.
“The majority of Americans now believe the Republican Party best represents the interests of the working class and the poor, and the Democratic Party is the party of the wealthy and the elites,” Martin said in his framework. “It’s a damning indictment on our party brand. We must be willing to dig deep and recenter the Democratic agenda to unite families across race, age, background, and class.”
During a brief pitch to party leaders at a meeting in Washington D.C. last week where Martin and O’Malley also spoke, Wikler told his fellow Democrats “we need to build the battle plan to change how we communicate, so we show what we mean when we say we fight for working folks.”
This isn’t the first time O’Malley has been linked to leading the party. Days after the 2016 election, he posted on social media that despite encouragement, he would not run for chair. Eight years later, he’s navigating a short window to make his case as he emphasizes his lengthy career in politics.
O’Malley served as mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007 and went on to win two terms as governor of Maryland, which included a stint leading the Democratic Governors Association. His political power has faded since then however, illustrated most notably by the struggles he faced during his campaign for president in the 2016 Democratic primary. Before announcing his run for chair, O’Malley spent nearly a year working in the federal government as commissioner of Social Security.
That experience is intertwined in O’Malley’s platform, which also calls for creating “a feedback loop for our local and state elected officials to ensure that they can help inform our messaging and tactics.”
“We all know we need to restore our credibility,” O’Malley said. “We need to learn from our failings, as well as our candidates who succeeded. But only one of us [in the race for DNC chair] has actually proven an ability to effectuate a rapid turnaround like we need to do right now in order to win the next election.”
contributed to this report.
Oklahoma set to execute man who killed girl, 10, during cannibalistic fantasy
Health insurers limit coverage of prosthetic limbs, questioning their medical necessity
DNC chair candidate Martin O’Malley says Democrats need to learn from “very bad loss”
Oklahoma set to execute man who killed girl, 10, during cannibalistic fantasy
Health insurers limit coverage of prosthetic limbs, questioning their medical necessity