Darcy Burner to seek Chair of State Democrats?

November 12, 3:14 PMSnohomish County Progressive ExaminerChad Shue

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And so the 2008 election is behind us (except for a couple of “too close to call races in the 10th and 44th LDs) So where is a Progressive political junkie like me supposed to turn his attention until the 2009 municipal and other “special” elections start heating up? Why to the upcoming intra-party reorganizations of course. Beginning in early December and running through the end of January, the two major political parties in the state will undergo their bi-annual organizational elections. The process begins with the Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) who were elected in the August primary by the voters in their precincts coming together to elect the executive boards for their respective Legislative District and County bodies. From these elections will emerge the State Committee Persons; one male and one female from each LD and County, who make up the State Central Committees of each of the parties. These Central Committees will then go on to elect the Executive Boards of their respective state parties. Just like the elections for positions in the various legislatures and executive offices, these “re-orgs” can be real yawners or campaigns of high drama. Typically the biggest fireworks come out of the party whose side has just suffered a major defeat in the previous election as that party struggles to get back on a winning track. However, because I am not usually in the loop when it comes to the state Republicans, I will just turn my attention to the state Democrats. This brings me to the headline for this piece.

Dwight Pelz

While one might think that, after a great victory that saw the election of a Progressive African-American to the Whitehouse and the triumphant re-election of your party’s governor, not to mention pickups in both the legislature and other executive offices, the chair of the state Democrats would be in a pretty safe position. But this is Washington and we are talking about Democrats.  For those who need a refresher, Dwight Pelz came to be the chair of the state Democrats when Paul Berendt stepped down from the post in January of 2006 (after leading the effort to ensure all the votes were counted in the first Gregoire-Rossi match-up) and a special election was held to fill the vacancy. While Pelz has presided over the successes listed above, he has also rubbed some of the rank and file a bit sore with an often abrasive personal style and a perceived lack of respect for the grassroots. It is possibly the fact that those successes have been achieved and that there are no real overriding electoral challenges ahead of the party for another two years that might seem to signal an opening for someone to mount a challenge for Pelz’s job.

Enter Darcy Burner?

Darcy Burner - New Party Head?

In the past few days I have heard from a few inside sources that, soon after it had become apparent that Burner was not going prevail in her race against Dave Reichert, she was being approached to challenge Pelz for the Chair’s position. While I have not gotten any official confirmation from Darcy or anyone in her “inner circle” it is my understanding that she considering the challenge. Obviously Darcy Burner would benefit from great support from the so called netroots community and plenty of name recognition amongst the potential Democratic voting bloc in the King County area and beyond. She certainly would represent a stark contrast to Pelz’s macho persona. A potential drawback, of course, would be the perception that Burner might be seeking to use the position as a “place holder” while she determines her next political move. For many there is a distinct line between “party people” and politicians and for them positions of intra-party leadership should be reserved for the former.

Another Challenger?

While there is only speculation over Darcy Burner’s options, one actual “announced” candidate has stepped forward in the state chair’s race. Current Snohomish County Chair, Mark Hintz has announced that he will not seek re-election as Snohomish County Chair so that he can campaign for the state party’s top spot. Hintz is a long time Democratic Party activist and has served as Chair of both the 39th and 44th LDs before being elected Snohomish County Chair in 2004. During his tenure at the county level he has overseen a very successful effort in both increased party activism (aside from the temporary bubble created by the presidential caucuses) and fund raising. He is widely respected amongst the rank and file and has proven himself to be a natural leader. Certainly one of his brightest achievements was just realized as he helped to turn the numbers around for Chris Gregoire from a close loss in 2004 to an overwhelming victory last week.

It should be said here that, as of this writing, there has been no formal announcement from Dwight Pelz that he will be seeking re-election. In fact, there is even some speculation that he may already have another career course set. However, on the assumption that he will run and regardless of Darcy Burner’s eventual decision in this race, the fact that others are actively seeking a change at the top would seem to indicate that some in the party believe that Pelz is not only less than universally loved but that he is perceived to be beatable.  While the state reorganization will not take place until the end of January, it should not be long before there is detectable movement around this race.

Peace,
Chad Shue 
 

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