Ruling: Ex-officio members of Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee retain voting rights

(Art: Getty Images)

(This story has been updated with comment from the Tennessee Young Democrats.)

A Nashville judge has ruled that ex-officio members of the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee can continue to vote on party business.

The ruling by Davidson County Chancery Court Judge David Briley came in response to a lawsuit filed by four TNDP executive committee members.

The plaintiffs sought to strip non-elected committee members of their right to vote on party business — and in particular on the state primary board — following a rancorous debate at the Jan. 27 executive committee on the admission of Tennessee High School Democrats as an ex-officio committee member.

The state Democratic primary board is solely tasked with certifying the results of primary elections with the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and not, as the plaintiffs alleged, establishing the partisan bona fides of candidates.

Briley ruled that only elected executive committee members should be allowed to vote as part of the primary board, but that ex-officio members retain their voting rights in all other matters.

“We’re happy Judge Briley agreed with our position on who can vote and who can’t,” said Gerard Stranch, attorney for the TNDP. “We hope the ruling ends the litigation and we can focus on electing Democrats on the next elections.

A statement from the Tennessee Young Democrats referred to the lawsuit as “nothing but a distraction and a complete waste of valuable resources in an election year.”

24C-809 - Order on Injunction - Rice - 2

The post Ruling: Ex-officio members of Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee retain voting rights appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.