County Dems tap new chair in tight race
Consultant plans to grow fundraising efforts, membership
Harris County Democrats tapped a consultant and party fundraiser for chair Sunday, with hundreds of precinct chairs voting in a close race.
Lillie Schechter will replace Lane Lewis, who resigned in February after about five years of service.
Schechter said Sunday that the party must immediately begin recruiting and training candidates to run in 2018. Democrats must expand fundraising efforts by attracting new donors online, at events and in the membership of local progressive and millennial groups, she said.
The local party comes off sweeping success in the 2016 election, winning every countywide position on the ballot.
Precinct chairs packed into
the IBEW Local 716 building in Shady Acres on Sunday afternoon, cheering loudly after candidates’ pledges to bring in new donors and support marginalized groups. Six candidates ran for the position, the most to pursue the county party office in 15 years.
Former party chair Gerry Birnberg acknowledged that the party performs worse in midterm races than it does in presidential elections, but he said that the demonstrated interest in party leadership Sunday was a promising sign.
“We may be on the brink of being able to break through and win county-wide in an off-year election,” he said.
Schechter earned 190 votes, edging out runnerup Eartha Jean Johnson’s 118 votes and avoiding a runoff.
Johnson said her voters were “not spoilers” and said they will continue to support the party’s organizational efforts.
“It’s not about me; it’s for a greater good,” she said, hugging her granddaughter after the results came in Sunday.