Every four years, coinciding with the Presidential election, the Kentucky Democratic Party goes through a reorganization process. Leaders are elected to the County Executive Committees and the State Central Executive Committee to serve a four-year term. These governing boards are tasked with great responsibilities that include recruiting Democratic candidates for office, provide training and support to both candidates and volunteers, and helping shape the Democratic policy platform.
However, due to COVID-19, this process was postponed until 2021, and is underway now. It is critical for Democratic voters in Kentucky to take part and express their desire for change.
Written by Jack Walker
I am writing this to demonstrate how important the next four years will be for the Kentucky Democratic Party, and why now is the time for new leaders to emerge. This transition of leadership is coming at the most critical time. If the Democratic Party is going to achieve success in Kentucky, it must be honest about mistakes that have been made. It must also be diligent in correcting these errors and charting a solid path forward.
My involvement with Kentucky Democratic politics spans nearly two decades. I was twice elected President of the Kentucky Young Democrats, served on my county executive committee, worked as the Senate Democratic Caucus director, and have helped elect numerous Democratic candidates to office. Currently, I am serving my second term (2005-2008; 2016-present) on the State Central Executive Committee (SCEC) from the 3rd Congressional District, where I also represent my district on the KDP Finance Committee.
The last reorganization process in 2016
Like several others, I participated in the 2016 reorganization process of the Kentucky Democratic Party. From the precinct convention, to the legislative district, county, and congressional conventions, each was a step to select our delegates to the Democratic National Convention and elect new members to the State Central Executive Committee.
The congressional and state convention programs were highly disorganized. The voting system was placed on an untested and flawed digital platform that yielded severe inaccuracies, which caused hours of delay and frustration among those in attendance. I witnessed many people leave the convention without opportunity to participate as a result of this.
That night we left the Kentucky State Fairgrounds around 9:00 pm, without having confirmed our delegates to the DNC. Little did any of us know that this failure would prove to be an indicator of what the next four years would look like, both electorally and institutionally.
The aftermath of the 2016 election
The results of the 2016 elections not only sent our country reeling down a dark path, but it also shrank the last state legislative Democratic majority in the south (Kentucky House of Representatives) down to a super minority. I will never forget the post-election SCEC meeting where the sitting KDP chair Sannie Overly shrugged and stated that “there was nothing she could have done” to impact the results. It was both appalling and embarrassing.
Those of us in party leadership across the state immediately called for change and new management at the KDP. Those of us on the Finance Committee also attempted a post-election analysis of KDP finances related to election expenditures to determine what went wrong in a season where the KDP spent more than ever before for far less results. We requested contracts and invoices for our review, but the audit was blocked by KDP chair Overly.
It was only after an independent audit that the Finance Committee learned that the direct mail work was done by an out-of-state firm at prices substantially higher than expected. We also learned that the KDP line of credit had been increased without a consent vote from a majority of the SCEC.
The 2017 off-year period
Traditionally, the election off-year is one that affords the party opportunity to reflect, refocus, and rebuild. But, chair Overly did not allow the SCEC that input or opportunity in 2017.
Staff was hired without any SCEC input or review. Many of those staff persons were contracted at a salary that exceeded that of every other state Democratic party in the country.
No County Party rebuilding was possible because the KDP neglected to offer the usual training or programs for candidates and counties to prepare for the upcoming election cycle. 2017 closed without any improvement in political practices in the Commonwealth.
The 2018 mid-terms
There were high expectations and a lot of optimism leading into the 2018 midterm elections. Unfortunately, those hopes were not realized, and in my opinion, the promises made by the new KDP Chair Ben Self proved to be empty.
While an unprecedented number of women were elected to the General Assembly, that was the only high point worth celebrating. We failed to make significant gains or escape the super minority status in the state House, and lost a state Senate seat that was held by a Democratic incumbent for 14 years.
The KDP did not provide the SCEC with board training, and denied committees the opportunity to supervise party practices, including strategic planning, financial overview, or support training for candidates/county parties. The organization continued to show very little professionalization or success.
The 2019 state officers election
Heading into the 2019 election cycle, we felt poised to take on the most unpopular governor in the nation, and perhaps also hold on to other statewide offices. But, on election night, the only bright spot was the successful campaign of Governor Andy Beshear.
Our down-ballot Democratic nominees struggled to receive any support from the Kentucky Democratic Party. And when they and their staff came before the SCEC to air their grievances, chair Self shut down the meeting, refusing to give them the floor.
The 2020 election
Our post-2020-election SCEC meeting was not one of reflection or discussion; it was two hours of unfounded self-congratulations. There was no discussion of the Democratic nominee Amy McGrath raising and spending an unprecedented amount of money to capture just 38.2% of the vote and carry only 3 counties. Nothing was mentioned about losing more state House seats. Nothing was said about losing more state Senate seats. There was no talk about the election. Period.
The harsh reality of that election was that our Party now had only 33 Democrats serving in the state legislature (25 state House; 8 state Senate). Again, another round of abysmal election results with no one in the Democratic Party taking responsibility for putting together an ineffective plan.
Oddly, as the meeting came to a close, one brave SCEC member was given the floor to speak. The member asked what many of us wanted to – why was the former Chair Ben Self talking about success when the election results proved otherwise? Once finished, the silence that followed was astounding. Needless to say, the question was not answered and the meeting was promptly adjourned.
And now …
Now we find the SCEC again trying to regroup under Colmon Elridge, the third KDP chair in four years. As Colmon works to find the balance among working a full-time job, raising his young family, and running the KDP operations, it is the role of the SCEC to support him. It is also his role to seek the advice and guidance from the board. I am hopeful that Colmon will work to unify the splintered factions that exists, and begin to actually professionalize the KDP.
What I have learned
Through this experience, I have come to some conclusions:
- The State Central Executive Committee of the KDP is not permitted to act and function as the governing board it is designed to be.
- It has received no Board training of any kind in the past four years, despite numerous demands and votes from the SCEC that we receive that basic and standard guidance.
- Party bylaws are only enforced when they are convenient and are otherwise wholly disregarded or ignored.
- All authority and decision-making, whether it is employment-related or for political expenditures, rests solely with the Chair, or more realistically with the staff.
- The KDP staff and leadership accepts no advice from the SCEC, and dismisses any demand that KDP act in accordance with its bylaws, including the general requirements of listening to committees, revealing contracting and expenditures, and having actions ratified by its Board.
- There are no checks and balances on operations.
The last four years for this SCEC have been a failure. Each of us — members of the SCEC, the staff, and the previous chairpersons — have let down every registered Democratic voter. Our party has failed to compete in elections. Our party has failed to develop and deliver a cohesive message. Our party failed to effectively organize in communities. Our party is miles behind any similar state, and the gap between here and future success is one that will take decades, not merely years, to bridge.
I call on every registered Democratic voter to attend the KDP meetings, to support SCEC committees in their demands for transparency and oversight, and to engage their county parties in requiring that KDP funds be spent for the benefit of candidates across the state. We must overhaul the way our Party operates and redefine the role of the State Central Executive Committee. Too much authority and control has been usurped by the two previous Chairpersons. Those authorities must be reined in, and allow this committee to begin functioning as a true governing board. This year must be a true rebuilding and rebranding period; otherwise, the Kentucky Democratic Party will be in the wilderness indefinitely.
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Written by Jack Walker
Member, Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee,
3rd Congressional District