Parker Out As Head Of Indiana Democrats

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 6:29 AM

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - The Indiana Democratic Party is in search of a new chairman as Dan Parker is leaving by the end of the week.

Parker announced his resignation Monday after several political blogs hinted at the possibility over the weekend.

“After seven years, it is time for a new leader to embrace our past successes and take up our future challenges,” Parker said in a statement.

Parker was elected to serve following the 2004 gubernatorial election.

Among his accomplishments, Parker pointed to the party rallying back from the 2004 defeat in the gubernatorial race by gaining control of the Indiana House and the state’s Congressional delegation in 2006. Barack Obama’s win in Indiana in 2008 was the first for a Democrat presidential candidate in 44 years.

“Since elected to serve in November 2004, I have worked each day to make our State Party more inclusive and diverse; more open; more efficient and more successful at the ballot box. We have achieved many of the goals we set out to achieve, and we are widely recognized by the Democratic National Committee as one of the best State Parties in the nation,” he said.

Tim Jeffers is viewed as the heir apparent for the position having previously served as chief of staff for former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg, who is now running for governor.

The State Central Committee will meet on December 17 to begin the process of selecting the party chairperson.