Missouri Democratic Party chairman Stephen Webber says he will step down when his term ends Dec. 1.
Webber told St. Louis Public Radio that he has sent a letter to members of the Democratic State Committee, notifying them of his plans. A new chairman will be chosen Dec. 1, he said.
Webber is a former legislator from Columbia. He has drawn praise for his hard work campaigning for Missouri Democrats, even though the party suffered a major loss with this month’s defeat of U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Webber led aggressive recruitment efforts, but the party still failed to make significant gains in the General Assembly, where the GOP has huge majorities.
Webber did not discuss his longterm plans. In a text, he wrote, "My only plan right now is to wrap stuff up at the party, catch my breath and eat some food that's not from a gas station."
Republican Party chairman Todd Graves has not indicated whether he plans to seek another term.
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