Mississippi Today

North Mississippi attorney Wil Colom to challenge Rep. Cheikh Taylor for chair of Democratic Party

Published

3 weeks ago

June 13, 2024

mississippitoday.org – Taylor Vance – 2024-06-13 04:00:00

Wil Colom, an attorney and businessman from Columbus, will run for chairman of the state Democratic Party and challenge its current chairman Cheikh Taylor for the position, according to an email he sent to several members of the party's executive committee.

Colom's email, obtained by Mississippi Today, said that if he were elected leader of the party, he would work to implement a rigorous fundraising program, decentralize the party's operations, create an outreach and training program, establish a communications arm for the party, and recruit candidates to run for office in 2027.

“I'm not going to be a candidate,” Colom wrote. “Others can call the press conferences and give the speeches. My job, if I become chair, would be to amplify the messages of the candidates by ensuring resources are available.”

Taylor, a state representative from Oktibbeha County, is the party's current chairman and is up for reelection to a full term this year.

Colom told Mississippi Today that he knows Taylor and his family personally since they're from the same area of the state, and his decision to run for party leadership is not a personal attack on the current chairman.

“I don't want anyone to get the impression that (Taylor) is a bad guy,” Colom said. “I just think I have a different skill set.”

Taylor told Mississippi Today that he also plans to run and welcomes Colom's challenge. Having led the party through the 2023 statewide elections and presided over the party's recent convention, Taylor said he believes he's “battle-tested and battle-ready.”

“This is an exercise in the democratic experience,” Taylor said. “If we get in a position when we frown on challenges, we're frowning on the democratic process.”

The party's next executive committee meeting is July 22, when members will vote on for a chairman and other party officers. If Colom becomes the party's new leader, he would be the organization's third chairman in one year, potentially writing a new chapter in its recent chaotic history.

The party's executive committee voted to oust Tyree Irving as its chairman in July 2023 after Mississippi Today published emails Irving wrote to national Democratic Party officials that included a nasty attack on the state executive director.

After Irving's ouster, the committee voted to replace him with Taylor. However, less than a year after Taylor was first elected to the post, some in the executive committee apparently believe it's time for a new face to lead the party.

Attorney Wil Colom said he's running for chairmanship of the Mississippi Democratic Party. Credit: Special to Mississippi Today

Colom's past may make him an odd choice for the leader of the Democratic Party. He was once a Republican and ran for State Treasurer in the late 1980s as a Republican, but he left the GOP in the mid-2000s.

Since his exodus from the GOP, he has been a member of the Democratic National Committee, served on the national finance committee for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, and helped recent Democratic candidates try to win office in Mississippi.

His son, Scott Colom, is an elected Democratic district attorney for Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties. President Joe Biden nominated the younger Colom to an open federal judicial seat in north Mississippi, but his confirmation remains stalled in the U.S. Senate.

Mississippi Democratic Chairman Cheikh Taylor (second right), State Rep. Daryl Porter (right) were joined by supporters who gathered at the Sillers Building to protest Gov. Tate Reeves unveiling of a hospital program, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Colom acknowledged that he has been involved in Republican politics in the past but said, “It's been 18 years” since he last had any major involvement with the GOP.

Party leaders aren't always elected officials, but they play a crucial role in the political process. They often help organize messaging, coordinate fundraising, and strategize campaign efforts. During major elections, state party leaders often interface with national leaders to draw down funds.

A lack of funding and resources are two of the most pressing issues that have hampered the state Democratic Party from growing its influence and presence in a Deep South state dominated in recent years by the Republican Party.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today launches collaboration with JPMorganChase

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2 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Staff Editor

The American Journalism Project today announced it is teaming up with JPMorganChase to support local news organizations throughout the country. In addition to providing funding for the American Journalism Project's national efforts to rebuild local news, JPMorganChase is sponsoring eight nonprofit newsrooms nationwide, sharing ongoing financial health content, organizing local events, and providing expertise tailored to their unique challenges to help meet their business and operational goals. This work with JPMorganChase marks the first time the American Journalism Project is collaborating with a financial services firm.

“As the largest bank in the country, this commitment from JPMorganChase sends a powerful signal that corporations can play an integral role in rebuilding local news,” said Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project. “The investment and scale will infuse resources in a thrilling new generation of news outlets that are working to ensure local news is available to all, strengthening and informing communities.”

“The evidence is clear that a thriving local news ecosystem is key to more civic engagement and a healthy democracy. JPMorganChase believes supporting sustainable models for local news is essential to meeting information needs, strengthening communities and fostering inclusive economic growth,” said Andrew Gray, Managing Director of Regional Communications for JPMorganChase. “The American Journalism Project is playing a key role in supporting the sector by growing local news from the ground up so outlets can independently thrive. We're proud to be a part of this effort, and engage locally to identify the best opportunities where we can make an impact.”

JPMorganChase will work directly with eight local nonprofit news organizations in the American Journalism Project's portfolio, including:

THE CITY (New York City), a nonpartisan news outlet that serves the people of New York through independent journalism that holds the powerful to account, deepens democratic participation, and makes sense of complex issues.
Block Club Chicago, a newsroom dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant, and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods.
Mississippi Today, which as part of the Deep South Today nonprofit news network is providing free nonpartisan news to inform communities statewide and ensure accountability from public officials.
Cityside (San Francisco Bay Area), a nonpartisan digital news organization building community through local journalism with three local news sites, Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside and Richmondside.
Montana Free Press, a nonpartisan, public-powered news organization dedicated to reaching and serving the information needs of all Montanans by producing in-depth news, information, and analysis.
Signal Ohio, a statewide news organizations with newsrooms in Cleveland and Akron, committed to producing high-quality accountability journalism while working directly with residents to produce and distribute community reporting that is free to access for all
Fort Worth Report, producing independent, factual news coverage that aims to find solutions for community issues and strengthen a diverse and rapidly growing city and home county.
Spotlight Delaware, a community-powered, collaborative newsroom covering the impact of public policy, increasing access to information and civic engagement in historically underserved communities, and strengthening existing newsrooms throughout the state.

“Deep South Today is grateful for this opportunity to partner with JPMorganChase to further build the capacity of Mississippi Today to deliver essential local news to the communities it serves,” said Warwick Sabin, President and CEO of Deep South Today. “We look forward to working closely with them over the long term to achieve a healthier democracy and civil society through journalism that informs, engages, and inspires more Mississippians.”

AJP is the leading venture philanthropy working to address the market failure in local news. It is establishing and advancing a new generation of nonprofit local news organizations across the country. Founded in 2019, AJP is built on the evidence that robust journalism is an essential component of a healthy democracy. To date, AJP has raised $175M from local and national funders to address the local news crisis and has backed 44 news operations across 33 states.

JPMorganChase is a leading financial services firm and one of the oldest financial institutions in the U.S. It serves millions of customers, clients, and communities in 100+ global markets. This collaboration with AJP is part of the bank's overarching efforts to support local journalism.

About the American Journalism Project

The American Journalism Project is a venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. We believe in civic journalism as a public good and are reimagining its future by building a model to finance and sustain the local news our democracy requires. We make grants to local nonprofit news organizations to build their revenue and business operations, partner with communities to launch new organizations, and meteor leaders as they grow and sustain their newsrooms. To learn more about the American Journalism Project, visit our website.

About JPMorganChase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $4.1 trillion in assets and $337 billion in stockholders' equity as of March 31, 2024. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

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