The California Democrat Party is engulfed in a civil war that started at the party’s state convention in May, and the contentious battle over the race for chairman appears to be headed to court.

Kimberly Ellis, the progressive “BernieCrat” activist leader who lost that race by less than 2%, announced Monday that “she plans to appeal a party committee’s affirmation of the election results two days ago, a potential precursor to a lawsuit,” according to the Los Angeles Times:

“While I, perhaps more than anyone, want immediate closure, I also understand my tremendous responsibility to the thousands of delegates and supporters who are counting on us to see this through to its final conclusion. No doubt, this is not the easier path, but often times the righteous one is not,” she wrote in a fundraising plea to supporters. “To turn away now would be a betrayal to my own sense of integrity and ethics.”

After losing the election for Chairman of the California Democrat Party at at the party’s state convention in May, Ellis called the election “rigged.” Later, when Democrats lost special elections in Georgia and South Carolina, Ellis called out Democrat Party leadership in a tweet: “#dem establishment hacks worst in biz. Time for a new coalition.”

Since then, Ellis has kept the battle alive by contesting the decision to the party’s review compliance commission—which, according to the Times, held an all-day hearing in Sacramento to evaluate 355 “questionable ballots.”  Although 47 votes were ultimately invalidated — 25 for Bauman and 22 for Ellis —t hat did not change the election result.

In an email to her supporters Monday, Ellis did not mention a lawsuit specifically, but she has promised to file an appeal of the committee’s decision within 12 days. According to the Liberal OC blog, Ellis insulted the panel by characterizing it as an “inherently biased process.”

Ellis has made it clear she is not going away — and that Progressives will not take being “sold out” on issues like single-payer health care by the establishment wing of the party.

Tim Donnelly is a former California State Assemblyman and Author, currently on a book tour for his new book: Patriot Not Politician: Win or Go Homeless.  He also ran for governor in 2014.

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