The fallout from the Gainesville Mayor’s race continues to cause division in the local Democratic ranks.
Wednesday night marked the first Democratic Executive Committee meeting since the county party’s officers petitioned the state party to pull the charter of the Alachua County Democratic Black Caucus over members’ support of Republican Ed Braddy in the April mayoral runoff.
Braddy unseated Democrat Craig Lowe in a race that is officially non-partisan but always involves both the local Democratic and Republican parties.
The DEC grievance against the Black Caucus was on the agenda and the room was packed for a discussion that turned out to be fleeting.
Addressing the issue briefly from the dais, DEC Chair Robert Prather said party organizations have “single unifying purpose” of supporting and electing Democratic candidates and Black Caucus members’ had campaigned for a Republican candidate over a Democrat.
When it was time for the audience to chime in, Prather limited speakers to one minute each, which he said kept with his typical practice.
Only four speakers had an opportunity to talk at the podium before the meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m. sharp for a presentation on the Affordable Care Act. Black Caucus Chair Ermon Owens was one of them.
He said the Caucus members could support the candidate they choose in a nonpartisan election. He asked the DEC to rescind the letter of grievance sen to the state party and “apologize to the (Black Caucus) members they have made derogatory statements about.”
Two DEC members said it was well known Braddy was Republican and Lowe a Democrat so the argument the race was nonpartisan did not hold water.
Outside the meeting, Owens said the issue didn’t get a fair airing.
“I expected to have more than one minute and I expected justification for what they did,” he said.
Meanwhile, more letters have been sent off to the state party. DEC member Horace Moore Sr. ,who ran against Prather for DEC chair, sent a letter in late April questioning if four DEC officers had the authority to file a grievance without bringing the issue to the full DEC membership.
“Actions taken by the four officers of the ACDEC in their April 17th letter are systemic of our elected leadership;s arrogance and disrespect toward African-Americans and other Democrats with opposing opinions and ideals and have been going on for several years.”
And the DEC has also filed a grievance against the state party with the state party. That one involves $2,500 contribution the state party made to Lowe in March, when fellow Democrat and former City Commissioner Scherwin Henry, who is African-American, was still in the race.
The undated letter said the state party did not consult with local party officials before making the contribution and the actions “damaged” the county party’s relationship with the African-American community.