Multnomah County Democratic Party Declares Its Own Election "Illegal"

The Multnomah County Democratic Party is experiencing some turbulence, thanks to machinations around legislative races. 

On Nov. 14, the party held an election to replace former chairman Teddy Keizer, who submitted his resignation in order to run for the House District 42 seat Rep. Jules Bailey (D-Portland) vacated to run for county commission.

At that meeting, dozens of newcomers showed up, seeking to become precinct committee persons. Many of those newcomers came at least in part so they could support the prospective legislative candidacy of Barbara Smith Warner, a longtime political organizer and, more recently, aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Warner is one of the people interested in being appointed to replace former Rep. Michael Dembrow (D-Northeast Portland), who moved up to the Senate earlier this month after the resignation of Sen. Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland), who resigned to take a job with Mayor Charlie Hales.

Yes, this is pretty confusing and yes, there are a lot of names involved, but we're almost there. So all the newcomers who came to the Nov. 14 meeting to get into position to support Smith Warner's desire for Dembrow's seat also voted in the chair's race that night.

As it turns out, that vote, which elected Lakeitha Elliott chair, was invalid.

Here's the email (emphasis added) the county party sent out earlier this week:

What now? The party will meet Dec. 12, with another vote on the agenda. Meanwhile, the chair's seat remains empty.

Meanwhile, Jamey Woods, a Democratic former two-term Parkrose School Board member, has officially entered the race for Dembrow's seat, so regardless of who gets the appointment, there should be a contested Democratic primary next year.

WWeek 2015