State GOP ousts chief; former state senator Esser takes the reins

[flamingyouth]

TUKWILA — State Republican Party Chairwoman Diane Tebelius was voted out of office Saturday, a year after she got the job and a couple of months after her party sustained massive losses in the 2006 election.

The Republican State Committee voted 71-43 to elect former state Sen. Luke Esser to a full two-year term as chairman. Tebelius was finishing out the last year of former Chairman Chris Vance's term.

Tebelius immediately left the meeting as a group of Esser's backers rushed to party headquarters in an office building adjacent to the hotel where the vote took place.

Esser campaigned against Tebelius by questioning her financial management of the party and saying that while it was a bad year everywhere for Republicans, it was especially bad in Washington state.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003544894_republicans28m.html

[eridani]

1. Let's hope he runs it into the ground

BTW, there has been a lot of speculation in the local blogosphere about him possibly being a closet case.