Nevada Democrats have ousted a slate of democratic socialists who took over the state party two years ago, ending a troubled reign marked by divisions and infighting.
Judith Whitmer was booted from her position as chair in a Saturday vote, with a new slate headed by Nevada Assemblywoman Daniele Munroe-Moreno assuming control of the party.
Munroe-Moreno, who is the first Black woman elected to lead Nevada Democrats, was backed by a slew of elected officials as well as the so-called Reid Machine, the powerful organization first brought together by the late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.
The results come after a tumultuous term under Whitmer, who repeatedly clashed with key figures in the party. Establishment Democrats charged that she had at times undermined her own party, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who was in a close re-election race last cycle.
Whitmer also lost the support of some of her progressive allies, including in Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ camp and with local democratic socialists.
Whitmer recently told NBC News she was a victim of a “smear campaign,” and that she had worked to turn out voters in down-ballot races and rural counties.
In 2022, Nevada Democrats largely held onto state posts in the face of what should have been good conditions for Republicans. Cortez-Masto’s win by fewer than 8,000 votes ended up becoming the deciding seat in the Senate, allowing Democrats to retain power.
The exception was the governorship, making incumbent Steve Sisolak the only sitting governor to lose his seat in 2022.
The Silver State state is again expected to play a pivotal role in 2024 as a presidential battleground. For Democrats, Nevada moved up in the primary calendar order, expected to hold its presidential contest after South Carolina.
“We have so much work to do to win this highly competitive battleground state and we are ready to get started today,” Munroe-Moreno said in a statement. “I look forward to uniting our Democratic family because I know how much we are capable of when we come together as one team.”
Whitmer did not immediately have comment.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
