National party officials reject Alabama Democrats’ bylaws

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — National party officials have rejected the Alabama Democratic Party’s proposed bylaws after expressing concern that the state group isn’t doing enough to get more nonblack minorities involved.

In February, the Democratic National Committee ordered the Alabama party to hold new elections for party leaders and to revise bylaws to provide representation of more minorities — not just African Americans — in the party. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee rejected those reworked bylaws Tuesday.

Alabama Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley said Wednesday that the state party will discuss its options with an attorney and continue to work with the DNC.

The decision comes after a nearly yearlong dispute over the governance of the state party. The DNC ordered changes after challenges were filed when Worley was re-elected as party chairwoman last August.

National party officials said earlier this year that the state party lacked an effective outreach program to get Hispanics, Asians, LGBTQ people, youth and others involved in party affairs.

Committee member Harold Ickes recommended the decision to reject the state party’s bylaws, saying the proposal did not comply with the DNC directive.

Ickes also said the party’s internal elections last year made the “Keystone Cops look organized.”

The Alabama party had asked for the proposed bylaws to be approved, saying they believed they met all requirements.

“There were some people who didn’t like our re-election so they have spent a year trying to look for other ways to oppose us and keep us embroiled in refighting the Civil War,” Worley told the panel.

Richard Rouco, an attorney representing some of the Democrats who filed one of the challenges, told the panel that there “have been too many broken promises to try to include other individuals.”

Ralph Young, who filed the other challenge, said the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee “acted decisively.”

“In 2019, the election of Nancy Worley was set aside and the party has resisted DNC instructions to bring its bylaws into compliance with national rules,” Young said in a statement.