Iowa Democratic Party chairman announces resignation as caucus disaster drags on

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price issued his letter of resignation Wednesday, announcing that he will step aside as soon as his replacement is elected so that the party can move forward amid recounts in the ongoing caucus debacle.

 

What are the details?

"The fact is that Democrats deserve better than what happened on caucus night," Price wrote in a letter to the Iowa Democratic Party's State Central Committee. "As chair of this party, I am deeply sorry for what happened and bear the responsibility for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party.

"While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward, and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult," he continued. "Therefore, I will resign as chair of the Iowa Democratic Party effective upon the election of my replacement."

According to the Des Moines Register, "Price said he would call for an emergency meeting of the state central committee at 1 p.m. on Saturday to elect an interim chair."

Price added that "Whomever is elected will oversee the completion of the recanvass and recount process and begin the process of healing our party."

There are still no final results from last week's disastrous Iowa caucuses, after confusion over the process, the failure of a new app for submitting results, and tallying inaccuracies left media outlets unable to definitively declare a winner. Preliminary numbers show either former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg or Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won, but the race is too close to call and questions over accuracy remain.

Anything else?

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has refused to take any responsibility for the fiasco, saying last week that the Iowa Democratic Party was to blame. Perez emerged to call for a total recanvass of the vote in Iowa after days of chaos amid demands that Perez resign himself.

Former Iowa state senator and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jack Hatch criticized the DNC chairman for his treatment of Price and the state party over the ordeal, telling Politico of Perez, "He got pushed by the national criticism and threw Iowa under the bus. The other state parties' chairs and the other states are in the same position: Can they trust the national chairman?"