David Henry won’t seek re-election as Monroe County Democratic Party chair, according to a press release Tuesday.
“Let me be clear: I fully intended to run for another term, having enjoyed overwhelming support of the caucus and civic leaders in the community,” Henry said in the release. “But a good leader always has an eye toward sustaining the organization beyond their own desires, especially when family needs to come first.”
Henry was elected to the Monroe County Council as an at-large member in November and was sworn in Jan. 1. His party chair term ends March 1.
Henry also decided to step aside due to new personal responsibilities with his family, according to the release.
Henry was elected chair in January 2022. Previously serving as vice chair, he took over the role in December 2021 when then-chair Jennifer Crossley won election to the county council District 4 seat.
Henry led the party through three elections from 2022-24, during which Kerry Thomson became the third woman to serve as Bloomington mayor, according to the release. Henry and State Senator Shelli Yoder also recruited Jessica McClellan, then-Monroe County treasurer, to run for state treasurer in 2022. She lost to Republican Daniel Elliott.
He petitioned for two ultimately unsuccessful recounts for the 62nd District and Benton Township races in 2022. After the Indiana Daily Student reported in 2023 that City Council District 6 candidate David Wolfe Bender did not live at his listed address, Henry oversaw a vacancy caucus that led to Sydney Zulich being nominated for and winning the seat — becoming the youngest person to serve on the council.
Henry oversaw another city council vacancy caucus in 2024, after Shruti Rana stepped down from the District 5 seat a little over a month after being sworn in. Henry cast the tie-breaking vote to select Courtney Daily to fill the seat.
In 2024, he challenged Republican Randy Cassady’s candidacy for the Monroe County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat based on residency requirements. Cassady later suspended his campaign.
Editor's Note: David Wolfe Bender previously worked at the Indiana Daily Student.
