Idaho’s Democratic Party will soon be under new leadership. The party announced Tuesday that Chairman Larry Kenck will resign effective May 29. Kenck says health issues are forcing him to leave his post two years before his term expires.
The party’s vice chair, Jeanne Buell, will take over as acting chair until June 13. The state central committee will then select a new chair to serve the remainder of Kenck’s term. The party says Buell will oversee the search for Kenck’s replacement.
Republican infighting last summer raised Democrats’ hopes for success in the 2014 elections. But Kenck's Democrats struggled in statewide elections. Republicans swept all of the those races in November.
National party gender rules will influence who will be selected next month. Idaho Democrats say their next chair will be a man.
“Because of national Democratic rules, if the party has a male chair, then the party must have a female vice chair—or conversely, a female chair requires a male vice chair. So, the new chair will be a male.” - Idaho Democratic Party
Kenck emailed his resignation letter to party members May 23.
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