Iowa Democrats Name Eadon State Party Chairman Seven Candidates Sought The Post

DES MOINES — Political consultant Derek Eadon said he believes his election Saturday as the Iowa Democratic Party’s state chairman signals Democrats want to heal internal divisions and chart a fresh course to reverse losses in the past two election cycles.“I think that new approach is something that appealed with folks,” Eadon, 33, of West Des Moines, told reporters after emerging as the winner in a seven-way contest to succeed chairwoman Andy McGuire.Eadon will serve a two-year term.A party organizer and activist who served as state director for former President Barack Obama’s Iowa campaign in 2012, Eadon attributed Saturday’s success to the positive vision for the party he laid out to central committee members split in the 2016 campaign between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.“I think my approach appealed to both sides,” Eadon said.He said his first order of business would be to create an inclusive, “positive culture” within the party, focus on outreach to rural areas and hold Republicans accountable for their attacks on collective bargaining, health care and public education.“Folks are frustrated with the way things have been going, that the Democratic Party really hasn’t learned our lessons.