Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

After schism, 2 Democratic clubs

A dispute over election protocol prompts part of the Sugarmill Woods Democratic Club to splinter off and form the Sugarcrats.

By ELENA LESLEY
Published June 16, 2006

Republican stronghold Sugarmill Woods now has a second Democratic club.

After a fallout with the county's Democratic Executive Committee, leaders from the former Sugarmill Woods Democratic Club split off and started their own group, the Sugarcrats.

The club is affiliated with the Progressive Democrats of America instead of the DEC.

Meanwhile, the old club was reformed in late April and now operates under new leadership, including president Ed Murphy, treasurer for the DEC.

"We needed a club because the DEC took over our old club," said Blanche Picard, who was treasurer of the Sugarmill Woods Democratic Club and now serves as vice president for the Sugarcrats. "What they did was wrong."

The trouble started in December when Ruth Anderson resigned as president of the Sugarmill Woods Democratic Club. Vice President Jerry Carr took her place.

At the request of DEC chairman Mike Jarrett, Carr agreed to postpone the usual February club elections until April 23, so that members could get to know each other during the period of transition.

Meanwhile, Murphy began soliciting new club members. But instead of giving their applications to Carr, he showed them only to Jarrett. Carr claimed that because he had not received the applications 45 days before the April 23 meeting, as required by club bylaws, the new members were ineligible to vote.

Jarrett insisted the new members should be able to vote. Carr accused him of swinging the election against him and other current leaders.

"It's a clear-cut political stacking the deck," Carr said. "They're doing everything they can to take control of what they've always wanted: the Sugarmill Woods Democratic Club."

The DEC prevailed.

It pulled the club's charter and reorganized the club in late April, with Murphy assuming the presidency.

Though battle-weary, Carr's camp didn't give up. They formed the Sugarcrats, which has about 20 members.

Carr is the president. He was unavailable for comment.

The Sugarcrats meet once a month and are hosting an event with congressional candidate John Russell on Sunday.

"We want to promote and elect Democrats," Picard said.

Elena Lesley can be reached at 564-3627 or elesley@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 16, 2006, 06:39:20]