So Much for Party Unity; Ellis won’t Concede

Kimberly Ellis has not conceded the California Democratic Party chair’s race to apparent winner Eric Bauman even though published reports suggest a recount won’t change the outcome of the race.  She issued this statement this afternoon:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 21, 2017): We are so grateful for the support of the thousands of California Democrats we received this weekend and over the past two years on this journey.   This was a close campaign, one that will come down to a handful of votes at the end of the day. We have some concerns about the way some of those votes were cast. If we want to build a Party that moves forward together, strong and unified, we owe it to every Democrat in California to ensure the election was conducted fairly and with transparency. We are talking with the CDP to do just that. We appreciate the leadership that Chairman Burton and Shawnda Westly have shown in this, and we’re working with them to find a resolution.   Win or lose, I’m proud of the campaign that we ran and the energy and enthusiasm we saw in that convention center. I’m committed to the future of our great Party, and I look forward to continuing our work together to turn California – and the nation – blue.   Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

For a candidate who preached creating a new kind of Democratic Party, Ellis’s response is disappointing to many who knew that the race would be close but at the end the party would come together. Ellis has ensured this won’t happen immediately.  Is her commitment to the party or herself?

Meanwhile, Flash Report editor and publisher Jon Fleischman suggested in a Tweet prior to yesterday’s chair election that the losing candidate’s supporters who declare the winner cheated and walk out of the convention.  Well played Fleischman. Well played.