Iowa Democratic Party chairman resigns in wake of caucus chaos

Iowa Democratic Party chairman resigns in wake of caucus chaos

Troy Price submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday.

February 12, 2020, 11:18 PM

3 min read

Troy Price, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday, following the backlash that ensued after the results of the caucus were delayed last week due to "coding issues" of the state's new reporting app.

Following the confusion of the caucuses, Price said he is taking full responsibility.

Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price speaks about the technical issues that delayed the Iowa Democratic caucuses results during a news conference at the Iowa Events Center, Feb. 4, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price speaks about the technical issues that delayed the Iowa Democratic caucuses results during a news conference at the Iowa Events Center, Feb. 4, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa.Joshua Lott/AFP via Getty Images

"The fact is that Democrats deserved better than what happened on caucus night. As chair of this party, I am deeply sorry for what happened and bear the responsibility for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party," Price said in his resignation letter.

He added, "While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward, and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult."

This isn't the first time the state and its voting process have come under scrutiny. For years, elected officials, pundits and voters across the nation have questioned Iowa's first-in-the-nation status because of the lack of transparency and complicated rules. Many critics, including former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, have also cited Iowa's status due to the lack of diversity.

Price’s resignation is effective immediately following the election of an interim chair on Saturday, Feb. 15 and the recanvasses are scheduled to start on Sunday, Feb. 16.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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