There appears to be at least some unity within the Alabama Democratic Party.

On Monday, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones wrote a letter praising the actions of party leadership at last Saturday's state Democratic Executive Committee meeting. Mr. Jones' letter came as a result of the party's leadership and executive committee adopting a new constitution that reinstates much of the party's diversity caucus and restores voting rights to a wide range of diverse groups within the ADP.

“On Saturday, (SDEC) took a major step toward salvaging the soul of the Alabama Democratic Party,” Jones wrote. “I was pleased with SDEC’s action because it supported diversity and inclusion within the Democratic Party. I have continued to advocate that.”

The action taken on Saturday came after months of intense debate within ADP, including several challenges to the bylaws passed at the SDEC meeting in May. These ordinances dissolved most of the Diversity Caucus and re-implemented many of the tremendous powers held by the party's black caucus, the Alabama Democratic Conference.

To explain the escalation of the conflict, Jones wrote in the letter that he has been compared to former Alabama Gov. George Wallace and called a “Dixiecrat.” Jones, perhaps best known for prosecuting KKK members responsible for the bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church, said his own civil rights record speaks for itself.

Democratic National Committee officials also joined the fray, threatening party leadership with the loss of funding and delegates unless they do something to restore the diversity caucus. ADP Chairman Randy Kelly and ADC Chairman Joe Reed, both of whom are seen as the primary proponents of change to the Bylaws, have agreed to review the Bylaws and begin the process of making appropriate changes. did.

Still, many believe there will be little, if any, progress toward actually restoring the diversity caucus and relinquishing its power, given the intensifying differences between the two sides. was feeling. All of this made Saturday's approval of these new bylaws a surprise.

“It's time to look forward, not backward, continue to heal and continue to grow,” Jones wrote. “Alabama Democrats have a great chance to win a seat in Congress in 2024, but it’s not a given. We have to work hard for it. In 2026. , many offices across the state are scheduled to open.'' Yes, it's going to be a long and tough road, but we are resilient and on the right side of history. We have been successful before, and we can be successful again as long as we continue to work together. ”