Tabitha Isner announced on Wednesday that she will attempt to unseat Nancy Worley as chair of the Alabama Democratic Party after sharply criticizing the political party last year.

Isner is coming off an unsuccessful bid for the U.S House of Representatives in 2018 against Rep. Martha Roby. In her attempt to lead the Alabama Democratic Party, Isner is seeking to turn the tides of a party that has been criticized for a lack of involvement in campaigns and a reluctance to spend cash.

"Alabama Democrats are eager to make their case to Alabama voters and thirsty for opportunities to put their talents to good use for the sake of Democratic candidates," Isner said in a news release. "We need leadership who will trust, empower and support the full spectrum of Alabama Democrats to implement a diverse array of strategies — not just the old familiar methods. Trying new things is the only way to get a new result."

Isner said in her release the party has not mounted an adequate defense against “a Republican Party in Alabama that has been plagued with scandal and corruption.” To fix issues of infighting and systemic issues, she said she will seeks to build relationships and empower candidates and party members.

More:Alabama Democratic Party chair: Boyd running; Figures considering

The Democratic National Committee ordered new leadership elections for the party in February, over questions regarding the qualifications of some of those who cast ballots in leadership elections last August. The DNC’s credentials committee also raised questions about the party’s existing by-laws on representations of groups such as Hispanics, LGBTQ individuals and youth.

The Alabama Democratic Party has had poor showings in the last three state elections, with the election of Sen. Doug Jones in December 2017 the only bright spot in the last decade. Candidates have blamed party leadership for the defeats and said the state party is not doing enough to invest in infrastructure or support candidates with resources. Worley has said the state party is trying to pay off accumulated debts and has little to invest in infrastructure.

Caroline Self, a former state Senate candidate, said in a news release that she supports Isner's bid. Self originally announced her intention to run for vice-chair, but said she would step back from the race, because party rules require the vice-chair to be male if the chair is female.

"When Senator Myron Penn withdrew from the race for Chair, I decided I would run for Chair of the Party unless a candidate I believed would be stronger entered the race. My friend Tabitha Isner is that candidate, and, as a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee, I will cast my vote for Tabitha and do everything I can to help her win the election and build a Democratic Party for the future.," Self said in the release.

More:Complaint filed with DNC over Nancy Worley re-election

Will Boyd, the chair of the Lauderdale County Democratic Party, is running for the seat currently held by Nancy Worley. Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, said in a phone interview she is also considering entering the race.

“The distrust that characterizes our party today isn’t a strange new phenomenon. It’s the result of a complicated party history plagued with racism, shifting alliances and scarce resources. Everyone I know — both those who support the current leadership and those that want a change — wants to see the Democratic party move forward,” she said in the release.

Brian Lyman contributed to this report

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