OLYMPIA — State Democratic Party chairman Dwight Pelz won re-election Saturday, rebuffing the challenge of the party’s former leader in Snohomish County.
Pelz defeated Mark Hintz of Snohomish to earn another two-year term at the helm of the state’s dominant political party.
He won 98-64 in balloting of members of the party’s central committee at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia.
Also Saturday, Republicans re-elected Luke Esser as chairman of their state party for two more years. He faced no opposition.
The race for Democratic Party chairman pitted those pleased with electoral successes in Pelz’s tenure against those critical of his leadership style.
Pelz said in his first full term the Democratic Party gained members, won key elections like Gov. Chris Gregoire’s and now holds one of the largest majorities in any state.
He said the party registered 37,000 new voters, expanded outreach to Latino voters and helped bring out a record 240,000 people to the presidential caucuses.
Democratic Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, who unseated Republican Doug Sutherland in November, delivered a rousing endorsement of Pelz in brief comments to delegates before the vote.
Goldmark said he would not have won without the aid of Pelz and the state party operation.
Pelz indirectly acknowledged concerns raised by critics when he said some of the thousands of decisions he made may not have been right.
“I’m not asking you to vote for me because I’m perfect,” he said.
Hintz, who served four years as chairman of the Snohomish County Democratic Party, told delegates he wanted to develop a robust Democratic presence in all 39 counties and each of the 49 state legislative districts.
Hintz did not directly criticize Pelz. He did mount his challenge because of frustrations he’d heard from party officers at the precinct, county and state levels.
Some party members don’t like Pelz’s use of profane language in meetings and want him to consult the party’s executive committee more often on big strategic decisions during the election season.
While Hintz didn’t raise any of these points, the woman he selected to speak on his behalf did — and it may have cost him a few votes.
Nancy Rising of Kirkland called Pelz authoritarian and autocratic. She said he’s been disrespectful of women.
She received a scattering of jeers and boos when she accused him of using the “nastiest four-letter word,” to describe one of the leading Democratic women.
Afterward, as votes were counted, a few people approached Hintz to tell him Rising’s comments turned them off from his candidacy.
“I know it made people uncomfortable but I don’t think it cost me the election. I lost. I don’t blame her,” he said.
“Chairman Pelz is the leader and hopefully he hears the message that people want him to be more inclusive,” he said.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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