Party Officers FAQ: The Vice Chair

What is a Vice-Chair? Under the Indiana Democratic Party rules, the County Vice-Chair, is one of four roles that make up the executive committee of the County Party. The Vice-Chair is an officer of the party and has specific roles to support the work of the Party Chair and party. Each county party develops norms and customs for their officers outside of party rules for the function of their executive committee. In some ways, party work resembles the work and responsibilities of a non-profit organization, but in other ways has unique legal responsibilities that have no comparison to other similar roles.

What are the responsibilities of the Vice-Chair? The Vice-Chair has three responsibilities under the party rules (Rule 17 (j)): The duties of the Vice Chair shall be: (1) to preside at any County Committee meeting at which the State Chair is absent; (2) to perform all of the Chair’s duties while acting in such capacity; and (3) to perform duties delegated to him or her by the Chair. In addition, the Vice Chair is a voting member of the 9th District Democratic Committee and is obligated to attend quarterly meetings of the District Party, or send a designated proxy to those meetings.

Can these responsibilities change? Yes. However no county committee may pass rules or procedures that conflict with the state Party rules that fundamentally alter these positions. The Vice-Chair position under Rule 17 (j)(3) is designed to be flexible to meet the needs of the party and support the chair.


What is the time commitment to the party? This may vary from county to county, however the expectation for the Vice-Chair’s roles and responsibilities are set by the party chair under Rule 17(j). For the term ending in 2025 in Monroe County, the next vice-chair should prepare to serve several duties during the 2024 Presidential Election Cycle, and, in taking on the responsibility, prepare to prioritize this work among other voluntary responsibilities. Those include and are not limited to:

  • planning and leading the two major fundraisers for the county party - the Roosevelt Reception and the 2024 Taliaferro Dinner

  • holding consistent office hours at HQ

  • contributing to fundraising solicitations

  • learning and contributing to the direct support of precinct committeepersons, including VAN access and turf cutting for GOTV

  • availability to attend meetings of constituent caucuses

  • planning MCDP-hosted candidate forums

  • co-leading the delegation to the State Party Convention

  • serving as a delegate to Party Convention

  • serving as one of two votes on the District Party Committee, meeting quarterly in locations in the 9th District

  • planning election night watch parties, smaller party building events, attending executive meetings, caucuses, and committee meetings

  • contributing to election month activities, including sign distribution to poll sites and homes, poll site promotion of candidates, voter protection and sign clean-up and removal

  • learning and contributing to party public-facing activities such as county fairs, town festivals, parades and overall GOTV efforts, and

  • other roles as assigned by the chair.

How is a Vice-Chair elected? A party officer is elected at a vacancy caucus of the county committee. A majority vote of those precinct and vice-precinct committeepersons attending the caucus will seat a Vice-Chair.

Do Vice-Chairs become Party Chair? Not automatically. If a vacancy in the party chair offices occurs, a Vice-Chair may assume the role of acting chair and preside over a caucus to replace the chair. The Vice-Chair does not assume the party chair position for the remainder of the term unless standing for, and being elected to, the position by the precinct committee. A Party Chair may also elect to stay in office up to the caucus to choose their successor. Historically, only six Vice-Chairs have stood for and become chair at reorganization, death of the chair, or through vacancy in the past 100 years - Agnes Evans, Agnes Woolery, Ann Bron, Julio Alonso, Lee Jones, and David Henry.

How long is the term of office? Party Officers are elected to a 4 year term at re-organization. Party officers elected to fill the vacancy of an officer serve the remainder of that term.

How is a Vice-Chair removed from office? Under party rules, any officer may be removed from office with a 2/3rds vote of the county committee and if there is violation of Rule 19. (1) Neglect of duty; (2) Willful violation of these Rules; (3) Conviction of a felony; (4) Disloyalty to the Democratic Party; or (5) Any course of conduct that does not promote the best interest of the Party or creates dissension within the Party. Historically this occurred once, with the removal of CW East as county Party Chair in 1960.

Are there limitations on the Vice-Chair or officers during primaries? Party Rule 19 addresses the challenges party officers face in supporting the whole party during a primary season. In a “supermajority” county like Monroe County, many elections are decided in the primary among Democrats rather than in the general election among differing parties. Openly supporting one Democrat over another while party officer can create dissension within the party. Party officers effectively work on behalf of all candidates in promoting equal opportunity for access to the ballot and campaign support from the MCDP. Willful support of one campaign over another during the primary, or open dissent against the party’s slate during the general election could be grounds for a Rule 19 violation under party rules, where neutrality is an expectation.

Who is eligible to run? Party office eligibility is addressed in Rule 8 under the Party Rules:

  • (a) Any legally qualified Indiana voter who supports the purposes of the Party may be a member

  • (b) Except where prohibited by law or these Rules, any bona fide Party member may participate fully in Party meetings and be elected to Party office

  • (c) A Party member may only be a candidate for precinct committeeperson or state convention delegate if: (1) His or her most recent primary election in Indiana in which the candidate voted was in the Democratic party primary; or (2) The Democratic Party county chair of the county in which the person resides certifies that the person is a Democrat

  • (d) A candidate is not disqualified for not having previously voted in a primary Election if: (1) The candidate is not yet of voting age, but will be 18 by the date of the upcoming general election; or (2) The candidate is a newly registered voter

Can a Vice-Chair serve in any other elected offices at the same time? Yes. A Party Office is not the same as a public office. It is very common for party officers in other counties to hold public offices.

Are Vice-Chairs term-limited? No. There are no term limits in elected positions in Indiana’s Democratic Party. Typically, the party elects new leadership in the year following a presidential election to a four-year term. An officer may continue to seek that seat in the subsequent reorganization. In Monroe County for example, Agnes Woolery served as vice-chair for over 30 years while serving as district and state vice chairperson at different times in her terms during the 1930s-1960s.

What is the Gender Rule? The Indiana Democratic Party’s Rule 9. promotes gender equality in offices of the party. This practice began shortly after the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Party organizations began to appoint the president of a local women’s democratic club to the role of vice-chairperson as early as 1922. For nearly as long, in the precinct committee and in the chair and vice chair positions at the county, district and state level, the roles of chair and vice-chair may not be held by a person of the same gender.

Specifically, a) All gender identities are eligible for all offices and appointments provided for by Indiana election law and these Rules. (b) To preserve equality of representation in all Party committees, the chair and vice chair or committeeperson and vice committeeperson shall not be of the same gender identity. This Rule does not apply to other officers, but Party members are encouraged to make determined efforts to create equal gender representation in their committees. In instances where an individual is non-binary, the alternate position shall be of another gender identity. (c) If a vacancy in the office of chair or committeeperson is filled with an individual of the same gender identity as the vice chair or vice committeeperson, the lesser office shall be automatically vacated by operation of Rule 9(b) above. (d) If approved by the county chair, a vice committeeperson may be a relative of a committeeperson who resides in the same household.