Democratic Party chair Michael John Gray leaving post

Michael John Gray, the former state representative who has served as Democratic Party of Arkansas chairman since 2017, is leaving his position, he announced Monday (Aug. 9).

Gray intends to resign as party chairman effective Sept. 1, 2021. He made the announcement to party leaders during an Executive Committee meeting on Monday night, followed by an informal meeting of the State Committee.

“Our state has been through immense changes since I began serving in public life and the challenges seem to be more important than ever. As Chairman, I’ve met people all across this state, with diverse backgrounds and upbringings, and found that when you turn down the noise from the cable television rhetoric most of us want the same thing. We want a good life for our families and we don’t want to be ignored by the people who claim to be our leaders. I got involved to give voice to my neighbors, the forgotten communities across the Delta, and to build a path for those who haven’t always been engaged. I will continue to do that every day of my life. I am a better person for it and am extremely grateful to the friends that I have made across this state, and I am humbled by the support they’ve given me.

“Serving as party chairman has been a privilege and at times a heavy burden. This era in Arkansas politics for Democrats has often been defined as a battle for survival, to keep the flame burning so that the torch can be passed to our next generation of great leaders. We have faced uphill climbs and have not always achieved the electoral successes we wished for, however, we have identified and engaged a new group of leaders as more candidates have stepped up over the last four years than we have seen since the change in term limits. We saw legislative seats flip in our favor, which had not happened since 2012. We’re excited about the effort to lower candidate filing fees to allow it to be even easier to run for office. Together, we have shared some other important victories, including changing what this party looks like. Our party leadership, our Democratic lawmakers, and our staff is more diverse and dynamic than ever. I’m extremely proud of the staff we’ve assembled and the hard work that’s been done. These are notable achievements that have been earned the hard way and we must ensure we do not roll back on these gains.

“I look forward to the future with optimism, knowing that our shared vision to make Arkansas a better home for all of us will continue and grow. These times demand us to be resilient, to find common ground, and to be unafraid of what obstacles lay ahead. I know that we will continue to do the work, together, and that Arkansas will be better for it,” he said.

Gray, a farmer and businessman, was first elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2014 and took office in January 2015. He was narrowly defeated in his 2018 bid for re-election but continued as state party chairman.

DPA Vice Chair Nicole Hart will serve as Interim Chair until the party decides when it will set an election. The next State Committee meeting is scheduled for October.

Gray will become the executive director of Liberty and Justice for Arkansas, an independent expenditure committee formed last June to “combat Trumpism” and “defeat Sarah Huckabee Sanders,” a Republican candidate for governor.

The LJA group said it plans to hold “right-wing extremists accountable for their actions.”

“The group’s goal is to lead a bipartisan and aggressive effort to combat Trumpism on all fronts leading up to the 2022 General Election and beyond,” it said in a press release when it formed. “Liberty and Justice for Arkansas’ first endeavor and priority is to defeat Sarah Huckabee Sanders.”