Judy Bevans, whose 27 months as chairwoman of the VDP included major outreach to unions, “big-tent” inclusion, and efforts to work with Progressives in certain districts, announced in an email to members of the State Committee last night that she is resigning, effective immediately.

Her announcement, in full:

After much deliberation, I am announcing my resignation as Vermont Democratic Party Chair, effective immediately.  It was originally my intention to serve out the remainder of my term and not seek re-election.  However, I have accepted a position in the development office at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

I have full confidence in the team leading the Vermont Democratic Party and leave knowing that our candidates and elected officials are in great hands going into the 2012 election.  Our new staff members have hit the ground running and I know that they will continue to improve and expand upon the goals I set for the VDP when I assumed leadership.  It is time for the next Chair to lead our team and carry this work forward.

Over the past three months, I have worked very closely with Jake Perkinson, first in his position as Chair of the financial subcommittee, and then as Vice Chair.  As acting Chair, Jake will carry our important work forward, and I am giving Jake my full support, as I hope you all will, and I look forward to electing him to the position of Vermont Democratic Party Chair.

Early on, I declared that my top priority was electing a Democratic governor.  After eight years with Governor Douglas, this would be a victory not only for the VDP but for all Vermonters.  With our hard work and a great candidate, we achieved that goal in electing Peter Shumlin.   We obviously cannot rest on this accomplishment: we must press ahead, united, to assure Governor Shumlin’s reelection and the election of Democrats at all levels.

In my 27 months of service, I have been spent my time working with such great people. From our federal delegation to our elected officials in Montpelier, the Executive Committee, State Committee, County and Town Chairs, it has been both an honor and a pleasure to work with such deeply committed Democrats.  I cherish your friendships.

I could spend pages listing all of our wonderful accomplishments together, but let me close with this: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you and serve Vermont Democrats as Chair.   I look forward to serving as a member of the State Committee and to all of the great things we will accomplish together in this upcoming election cycle and beyond.

Best,

Judy Bevans

Recently elected vice chair Jake Perkinson, a lawyer from Burlington, will be acting chair until a VDP State Committee meeting on September 10, at which members will vote on a new chair. If Perkinson is voted in as chair for the remaining three and a half months of Bevans’ term, the committee will also elect a new vice chair. The VDP’s bylaws require that the chair and the vice chair be of opposite genders. If the chair is female, the vice chair must be male.

I have not (yet) heard of anyone on the state committee thinking of running for chair against Jake Perkinson, and it might be a hard row to hoe going against his virtual anointing by now-former chair Judy Bevans.

Let the games begin.