Daraka Larimore-Hall, Santa Barbara’s most prominent unelected Democrat, faces a sudden, surprising test in his campaign to be elected chair of the state party.
Locked in a three-way political race for the powerful job, Daraka last week absorbed accusations of “shady, illegal behavior” from one of a trio of Dem staffers who sued the party amid a messy sexual harassment scandal — who now alleges he pressured her to withdraw litigation claims aimed at him.
There is political irony here, because Larimore-Hall was the person who last fall blew the whistle about sexual misconduct allegations swirling against then-chair Eric Bauman. The charges of rampant loathsome behavior that Daraka aired led to Bauman’s resignation — and the ongoing, fierce campaign to replace him .