Hamilton County Democrats choose Terry Lee as leader

Hamilton County Democrats elected new leaders Saturday during their biennial reorganization.

Terry Lee was elected president; Jackie Dowell is vice president; Joe Boshears is treasurer; and Annie Hall is secretary.

Lee easily fended off a challenge from Kenneth Love, the chapter's executive director, who is pastor of St. Paul AME Church. All the other candidates were elected unanimously.

Lee replaces Paul Smith, whose term was marked by controversy. In the space of a few months, he tried to block media from attending the traditionally open meetings and later proposed to jettison members who criticized the chairman.

In a telephone interview Saturday, Lee said his "biggest job" will be ensuring that the party is unified.

"Though the party locally has been down for a while, I think we've got a good base to build on," he said. "People are hungry for change, not only within our party but within government. The recent city elections show the status quo is just not acceptable anymore."

Upcoming Events