Texas Democratic Party official resigns after racist comment

Nancy Nichols, a member of the Texas Democratic Party's executive committee will resign, weeks after a racist comment she made sparked discussions of her removal, the party's top leader Gilberto Hinojosa confirmed to Axios on Friday. Why it matters: Nichols’ decision to step down from her post comes as executive committee members began working earlier this week to gather the requisite signatures to remove the East Texas Democrat. Nichols came under fire after a Feb. 8 Zoom call with county chairs, in which she described an event location as taking place on "the chocolate side of town."

Hinojosa called on Nichols to resign in a call with Axios on Wednesday, calling her comment "a stain on our party." Nichols sent an apology letter to party leaders, county chairs and Smith County leaders earlier this week. What they're saying: Hinojosa called her decision to resign "the right thing to do." "It avoided a contentious and divisive meeting on her resignation," he said Friday. "I think it was important that she do that to ensure that the party stays unified." "I thank her for making that tough decision and wish her the best." Carroll Robinson, chair of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, said Texas Democrats still have a lot of work to do, but added the group's handling of the situation showed that Nichols’ language was unacceptable inside the party. "It reflects the sentiment in the Texas Democratic Party that we're not going to go backwards," Robinson said. What to watch: The coalition will hold a press conference in Tyler on Saturday.