NC Democrats elect David Parker Chairman to lead comeback in 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. —Democratic National Committee member David Parker of Statesville easily defeated current state Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County and former state party First-vice Chair Dannie Montgomery of Anson County on the first ballot. Parker will succeed outgoing Party Chairman David Young of Asheville.

As the Raleigh News and Observer reports, “ North Carolina Democrats Saturday chose a veteran activist, David Parker, to lead the party's comeback effort next year, that will include efforts to hold on to the governor's mansion and retake the legislature from the Republicans”.

The Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee (SEC) of over 600 members met to conduct a regular business meeting at the NC State University McKimmon Center.

Parker, 56, of Iredell County, took the gavel and leadership over the party immediately. He will serve a two-year term. He received 355 out of 632 total votes, party spokeswoman Kerra Bolton said.

Chris Telesca, a Raleigh Democrat who was a voting member of the SEC noted the wide margin of support for Parker. He said a 15% margin of victory represented the wide support among the assembled group for Parker.

Telesca said in an interview, “Parker got an enthusiastic response from the crowd. The delegates wanted somebody who knew how the Party works, and Parker had done everything and that is what people wanted this time around.”

The candidates for Chair had critical words about the party’s management in 2010, saying it lacked a unified message and local party workers weren't kept in the communications loop. The candidates for Chair spoke out publicly ahead of today’s meeting and in some speeches even today on problems with intraparty communication and a lack of support for the grassroots party volunteers.

Governor Beverly Perdue was present to address the Party’s Executive Committee and to give a pep rally talk on the importance of the grassroots leaders to the party. She lauded the party’s precinct chairs and the county chairs.
-----------------------------------------------------
Read more at Raleigh Statehouse | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/statehouse-in-raleigh/nc-democrats-elect-david-p...