SOUTH BEND â St. Joseph County Democratic precinct committee chairs and vice-chairs re-elected Stan Wruble as party chair by a wide margin Saturday.
Wruble won 67% of the vote, while Dave Nufer took 28% and Oliver Davis received 6% of 267 votes cast in a first-ever pandemic-friendly, drive-thru election at party headquarters.
Davis had declared his candidacy only eight days before the vote but Nufer mounted a serious campaign over six weeks, having touted endorsements from several former and current elected officials, including Mayor James Mueller.
Their race turned bitter toward the end, with their supporters exchanging a volley of combative emails.
Wruble argued that Nuferâs affiliation with former party chair Owen âButchâ Morgan, who had made calls urging support for Nufer, showed that Morgan would seek to exert control in the party.