Former Democratic Congressional candidate Tabitha Isner held a conference call tonight with Alabama Democrats and outlined a plan to revise party bylaws, clear the way for a new election for party leaders, and resolve a standoff with the Democratic National Committee.

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones took part in the call and told participants “time is of the essence.”

The call concerned a year-long dispute that started when some Alabama Democrats challenged the election for party leaders in August 2018. The DNC’s credentials committee investigated the complaints, found irregularities and ordered the state party to revise its bylaws and hold new elections. Two deadlines to get that accomplished have come and gone. Recent actions by the DNC and the approach of the 2020 election has raised the urgency for a resolution.

In August, the DNC stripped Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley and Vice Chair Randy Kelley of their credentials. The DNC has withheld $10,000 in monthly payments to the state party for the last year because of what DNC Chair Tom Perez said is the party’s failure to meet its basic obligations. The DNC has not approved the Alabama Party’s plan to elect delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Worley has said her detractors in the state party and the DNC have unfairly attacked her and the party’s leadership. Jones backed the candidate Worley defeated in the disputed election for party chair last year.

Isner was the Democratic nominee in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district last year. Isner intends to run against Worley for chair of the party but said the plan she explained during the conference call tonight was not an effort to promote her candidacy. Isner said the goal is to move past the dispute with the DNC and make sure Alabama delegates can be heard at the 2020 Democratic convention. She said the timeline is tight and listed specific tasks and and deadlines.

Jones said the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee will meet on Friday to consider revised bylaws submitted by some State Democratic Executive Committee members, including several state lawmakers. Jones said the new bylaws include an affirmative action plan to add more youth, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people with disabilities to the State Democratic Executive Committee.

If the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee approves the bylaws, the next step in the plan is to have State Democratic Executive Committee members vote by email ballot to call a meeting to consider the bylaws. Isner said it would take a majority of the approximately 245 members to call a meeting.

The target date for a meeting is Oct. 12 at a location to be determined. Approval of the bylaws at that meeting would clear the way for another meeting on Nov. 2 to hold elections for party chair and vice chair.