Katie Bernhardt | |
---|---|
Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party | |
In office September 13, 2020 –April 13, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Karen Carter Peterson |
Succeeded by | Randal Gaines |
Personal details | |
Political party | Democratic |
Children | 4 |
Education | University of Louisiana,Monroe (BA) Louisiana State University (JD) |
Katie Bernhardt served as the chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party from September 2020 through April 2024.
Bernhardt graduated from Louisiana State University Law Center. [1] Bernhardt and her husband operate Standard Law in Lafayette,Louisiana. [1] She served as a member on the Democratic state central committee and executive committee for four years. [2]
In September 2020,Bernhardt was elected to a four year term as the chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party 127 to 51 against Lynda Woolard,a party organizer. [2] She succeeded Karen Carter Peterson. [2] Bernhardt campaigned on her ability to reverse the party's decline in the state and appeal to moderate and rural voters. [3] She addressed the North and South divide in Louisiana Democratic politics. [4] Bernhardt had aimed to modernize the party. [1] She established the Louisiana Democratic disability caucus and the Democratic women's caucus. [5] She has reinstituted groups for young Democrats. [5]
In January 2023,Bernhardt signaled interest but did not officially announce that she would run in the 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election. [6] Her political advertisement sparked criticism among some party members,prompting first vice chairman C. Travis Johnson to stepdown. [7] She also faced calls to resign,mainly from progressives while other [3] party members came to her defense. [5] In February 2023,Bernhardt announced that she was not running in the gubernatorial election. [8] She later announced her support of gubernatorial candidate Shawn Wilson. [9]
In the subsequent elections the Democratic Party suffered significant defeats. These lead to more requests for resignation. At the April 2024 party meetings,due to a procedural error,Bernhardt was not nominated for State Party Chair,meaning she could not be re-elected.
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