Times staff report
Representative Chris England, of Tuscaloosa, was elected Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party on Saturday, becoming the first African-American to hold the position in the state Party’s history.
England was elected by a majority of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) in Montgomery. During the meeting, Patricia Todd was elected to the position of Vice Chair.
“Today was monumental for Alabama Democrats, and I am honored to have been selected to serve as the Chair of our state party,” said England. “What we achieved today was historic and I’m extremely proud of the unity and engagement that demonstrated. I look forward to working closely with my colleague Patricia Todd and all of the party members to create a more diverse and inclusive state party.”
England was elected after Nancy Worley was removed as chairwoman and Randy Kelley was removed as vice-chairman.
Worley sued earlier this week to prevent Saturday’s meeting and an election to choose new party leadership, but ultimately her lawsuit was dismissed by the Alabama Supreme Court on Friday night.
Senator Doug Jones and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) were in support of Saturday’s meeting.
Jones said, “Today’s meeting was an historic achievement and a step in the right direction for the Alabama Democratic Party and the state of Alabama as a whole.”
