The Democratic Party of Seminole County, which experienced a sudden resurgence after last month’s elections, plans to select a new chairman tonight to replace Steve Barnes.
Barnes — who has served as chairman for the past year and saw two powerful Republican legislators from Seminole County lose their re-election bids — said he will step down to spend more time with his family. He said he has no plans to run again for political office.
“I’ve been involved in politics full time since 2007, and it’s time to step back,” Barnes said this morning.
At tonight’s annual reorganization meeting, the group is also scheduled to select a new vice chair and other top officers. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Longwood Elementary.
Barnes, 43, a former supervisor for the Seminole County Soil and Water Conservation District, is a retired marketing consultant and former Orlando Sentinel news assistant.
In 2010, Barnes was defeated when he ran against incumbent Republican Chris Dorworth for the old state House District 34 seat.
But in last month’s elections, Dorworth lost his seat to political newcomer and Democrat Mike Clelland in the newly-drawn house District 29. In the race for the House District 30 seat, Democrat Karen Castor Dentel defeated incumbent Republican Scott Plakon, who was forced by redistricting to move into a new Democratic-leaning district.
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