Brian Lyman | Montgomery Advertiser

A Montgomery County Circuit Judge Thursday dismissed a lawsuit over the direction and governance of the Alabama Democratic Party, leaving the party in the hands of a group loyal to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.

Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Greg Griffin dismissed the suit from former Alabama Democratic Party chair Nancy Worley in a one page order Thursday, ruling that he lacked jurisdiction to decide an intraparty dispute.

The ruling came as something of a surprise. At a hearing last week, Griffin indicated he was inclined to believe he had jurisdiction over the case. The judge did not spell out his reasons for dismissing the case.

Joe Reed, the vice-chair for minority affairs for the party and an ally of Worley's, left open the door to a federal lawsuit over the composition of the governing body of the party in a phone interview on Thursday, saying "it's not over yet."

"We've got a good case," he said. "I’m very satisfied we’ve got a good case."

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England said Thursday he believed Griffin made the right decision.

"I look forward to all of us working together to get Democrats elected up and down the ballot," he said.

Messages seeking comment were left with A. Wesley Pitters, an attorney for Worley, and Barry Ragsdale, an attorney who represented the defendants in the case. Ragsdale said in a statement Thursday that they were "obviously pleased" with the ruling.

"We have been saying for some time that this dispute was a party matter that should be resolved internally and now Judge Griffin has agreed with us," the statement said. "We look forward to building the Alabama Democratic Party under the very capable leadership of Chris England."

The decision means Alabama Democratic Party chair Chris England, a representative from Tuscaloosa, will continue as chair for now. England had the backing of Jones in a leadership contest last November.

Jones said in a statement Thursday evening that it was time to "come together for the common good."

"Our state benefits from the ideas and engagement of a competitive two-party system," the statement said. "We have now demonstrated that we have the ability to be inclusive within our own party while working to expand the number and experiences of people who play a role in moving it forward."

The dispute stemmed from an August 2018 gathering of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC), where Worley won election as chair. Worley's opponents challenged the results, saying that some members seated during the vote did not have the proper credentials.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) the following February ordered new leadership elections, and directed the party to revise its bylaws to provide greater representation for Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with disabilities.

That directive led to a months-long standoff between Worley and the DNC. Worley accused the national party of sending conflicting or confusing directives. The DNC accused Worley of dragging her feet and missing deadlines. In August, the DNC stripped Worley and vice-chair Randy Kelly of their credentials. The following month, the DNC set an Oct. 5 deadline for the party to adopt new bylaws, or risk losing representation at the Democratic National Convention scheduled in Milwaukee later this year.

Members of the SDEC drafted a new set of by-laws and called a meeting for Oct. 5. At that meeting, the bylaws were ratified and leadership election set for Nov. 2. Worley, who refused to recognize the actions of England group, sued to stop the meeting in late November. Griffin initially blocked it, but the Alabama Supreme Court lifted the stay a few hours later.

At the Nov. 2 meeting, the SDEC removed Worley and Kelly and elected England as chair and former Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, as vice-chair. The England group has taken control of the party's assets, and announced the hiring of staff on Thursday. The hires include new executive director Wade Perry, who managed Jones' Senate campaign in 2017.

Griffin had urged mediation throughout the process and urged the two sides to work out the differences after last week's hearing. Reed said Thursday the attorneys had been talking but that there had been no direct mediation since the last hearing.