JoAnne Favors backs Chattanoogan for state Democratic Party chairwoman

State Rep. JoAnne Favors, D-Chattanooga, said today she is backing fellow Chattanoogan Jane Hampton Bowen for chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party.

“Jane has exactly the combination of energy, initiative and networking skills that we must have to rebuild the Democratic Party in Tennessee,” Favors said. “I know from having worked with Jane on multiple occasions that she is organized and focused.”

Favors said Bowen has “outstanding ideas on what must be done at the grassroots level to recruit new Democrats and revitalize the commitment of existing ones.”

Bowen, a Democratic activist and vice president of the Chattanooga Area Labor Council, announced earlier this month she is running for chairman. Current Chairman Chip Forrester said he will not seek reelection by the party’s State Executive Committee.

Bowen, also political liaison for the local labor group, said she hopes to re-energize the party, which has seen devastating losses in state and federal races in recent years.