Willett unseats Democrat state boss

[Freddie Stubbs]

Jason Willett of Jonesboro, district director for U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, ousted Ron Oliver of North Little Rock on Saturday from the state Democratic Party chairmanship in what Oliver said one observer called "a bare-knuckles fight."

The party’s State Committee elected Willett over Oliver as chairman for the next two years by a vote of 237 to 147, the party’s secretary, Lisa Binns of Little Rock, told the committee near the end of a nearly fivehour meeting at the Holiday Inn Downtown Presidential Conference Center in Little Rock. Willett’s term started Saturday.

Willett said he plans to immediately replace the party’s executive director, Michael Cook of Little Rock, with an interim executive director he hasn’t hired yet and retain the party’s four other staff members for now.

Last week, Cook announced his plans to leave the party in April after four years in his post.

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