Well! Isn’t this interesting:
From Akela Lacy and Ryan Grimm at The Intercept:
On March 6, a coalition of progressive candidates backed by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America took over the leadership of the Nevada Democratic Party, sweeping all five party leadership positions in a contested election that evening. (Judith) Whitmer, who had been chair of the Clark County Democratic Party, was elected chair.
The battle between the insurgent progressive wing of the party and what’s known in Nevada as the Reid machine — a tightly run operation still guided by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — began five years ago, when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders organized support for his 2016 presidential primary run, while Reid was working behind the scenes to help his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
snip…
The Left Caucus and DSA organizers ran a slate of candidates for state party leadership under the name “The NV Dems Progressive Slate.” All but one candidate on the slate was a dues-paying member of a local DSA chapter. The Democratic Party ran candidates on a slate titled “The Progressive Unity Slate,” playing on a theme they’d been pushing the entire cycle: The groups angling for change from the left were trying to divide the party, they said, while they were trying to save it.
Read the whole story. There is a lot more detail:
theintercept.com/...
The entire existing staff of the Party apparatus resigned, and all contracts with consultants were terminated. Before they resigned, they moved about $450,000 dollars out of the coffers and gave it to the DSCC. So instead of sticking around to help the new leadership, they are taking their ball and going home. Some “unity” and trying to “save” the Party.
This is a very interesting development. Nevada may become a test case to see if the Democratic Party can move further to the Left, and maintain, or even improve on, the winning of elections. Time will tell.