It's been just over a year since a change of leadership created a schism within the Boone County Democratic Committee. Now, the chair and vice chair of the local group have been kicked out by the Kentucky Democratic Executive Committee.
"We were blindsided," Brian Garner, an executive committee member of the Boone County Democratic Committee, told The Enquirer.
The state executive committee said in a letter that local leadership broke Kentucky Democratic Party bylaws.
Executive committee members, however, say the removal is rooted in an internal conflict involving newer members who voted out longtime leaders.
"I consider this unacceptable behavior from a state party 70 days before a general election," executive committee member Amber Hoffman said.
"To do something like this, without warning, is sabotaging all of our candidates in Boone County and the ones in Northern Kentucky."
Schism mirrors national divide
The shakeup comes less than two months before the Nov. 3 general election with Kentucky Democrats already facing an uphill battle in a state where Republicans dominate.
The GOP has supermajorities in the state's House of Representatives (80-20) and Senate (32-6).
Nationally, the Democratic Party is seeing a similar schism as it tries to rally support among voters, 74% of whom disagree with the way Democrats in Congress are doing their job, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.
The divides are often between younger, often more progressive candidates and establishment, more centrist Democrats − and there's no clear victor yet.
In places like New York City, that battle played out in the form of Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani beating establishment Democrats in the primary last year.
But elsewhere, like in Wisconsin and Florida, centrist candidates have recently won their primaries.
Here's what happened in Boone County
On Aug. 18, the Boone County committee received a letter from Colmon Elridge, Kentucky Democratic chair.
In it, he wrote that the State Central Executive Committee voted Aug. 15 to remove Boone County Chair Alex Hayden and Vice Chair Carolyn Hankins Wolfe.
According to the letter, the state committee received written complaints about the following:
- Unequal use of party resources and support for candidates in the May primary.
- Improper voting procedures during the committee's reorganization last year. (New leaders are elected to the 20-person executive committee during a reorganization effort every four years.)
- Conduct that obstructed volunteers and organizations from participating with the committee.
Following an investigation into the claims, the state committee vacated the seats, the letter said.
The Kentucky Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment from the Enquirer.
Several members of the Boone County executive committee, however, said the claims are either untrue, out of context, or have already been addressed.
Kentucky Democratic Executive Committee." id="91443045007">
'They wanted a change'
Hankins Wolfe said the state executive committee has been receiving complaints since the reorganization effort last year.
That's when about three-fourths of the longstanding executive committee were voted out by dozens of precinct chairs, many of whom are also active in the Boone County Democratic Women's Club, she said.
The vote represented the changing demographics of the committee, members told The Enquirer.
"Our median age was 65 and our demographic was white," said Hoffman, who's been on the committee for eight years.
But over the past few years, she said, people of color, LGBTQ people, and younger people have joined the committee.
"They wanted a change because they want to see elections being won and they want to see fresh faces in leadership," Hankins Wolfe said.
But after the vote, the state committee began receiving complaints.
When new leadership was contacted about the issues, Hankins Wolfe said the executive committee provided the state committee with more information and context.
For instance, in regard to candidate favoritism, several members on the executive committee said all candidates were invited to events and meetings.
As far as rule-breaking during the reorganization process, Hoffman said that's possible, in part, because longtime members wouldn't help with the process.
"None of them would help. They would not give us the information necessary to do this by the book," Hoffman said. "So there were some glitches in our system."
Hankins Wolfe wasn't on the executive committee when the reorganization happened.
Neither woman said they knew anything about the complaint regarding prohibiting volunteerism.
The Boone County Democratic Women's Club did not respond to requests for comment.
What's next?
The Boone County Democratic Committee has already appealed the decision to remove its leadership.
In it, members also asked for investigation records, meeting minutes, and proof of hearing notice, which Hoffman said the state committee should have provided before its vote to remove local leadership.
For now, Garner said committee treasurer Jim Fiorelli is the interim chair.
"The chair and vice chair were selected by the executive committee," Garner said, adding that the executive committee was elected by precinct captains.
"The decision that we made is not being respected," he added.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Suburban Democratic leaders ousted in party shakeup
