Jeffers elected to chair Louisiana Democratic Party

Jet, April 14, 1997

Louisiana management consultant and longtime activist Ben Jeffers has been elected chairman of the state's Democratic Party, the first Black to head the organization.

The Democratic State Central Committee, the party's governing arm, elected Jeffers 124 to 47 over attorney Hunter Lundy. Jeffers will fill an unexpired term in replacing Jim Nickel.

A former chief of staff to Governor Edwin Edwards, Jeffers, 52, said race was not an issue in his election.

"I feel the members of the state central committee elected the best person qualified," he told JET.

As chairman, he said he will concentrate on fund raising and organization-building to make the party stronger. Noting that grass roots fundraising is his strong suit, Jeffers said he wants to "begin to organize our party neighborhood to neighborhood, street by street, community by community and parish by parish."