Wife of Slain Democratic Party Chairman to Speak at Convention

The widow of slain state Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney will fill his spot at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week, Gov. Mike Beebe said. Rebecca Gwatney agreed to fill the vacancy left in the state’s delegation when her husband was killed at party headquarters last week, Beebe said Thursday. Party spokeswoman Darinda Sharp said delegates voted by conference call Wednesday night to ask Gwatney’s widow to fill the spot after a motion was made by the governor. “It’s a wonderful way to fill his position,” Sharp said. Bill Gwatney, who would have turned 49 during the convention, was a superdelegate who had supported Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid after Arkansas’ primary but switched his support to Sen. Barack Obama when Clinton left the race. Gwatney, a former state senator and car dealer, was shot and killed in his office at the party headquarters last week. The gunman, Timothy Dale Johnson, was shot dead by police ... (link)