Sen. Fort: Democratic Party Director's Departure is 'An Opportunity'

State Sen. Vincent Fort, whose District 39 includes much of Cascade, says Wednesday's resignation of Mike Berlon as chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party is an opportunity for the organization to move forward.

"Mike did the right thing," Fort said. "For him to continue in that role would have been a distraction at a time when we need focus and stability."

Berlon announced his resignation late Wednesday afternoon. GPB News reported that Berlon recently received a reprimand from the State Bar of Georgia and has been urged by several top Democrats that he should resign because of legal woes.

"At this point Democrats need to work together to pull together our resources and win some elections," Fort said. "It's a good thing he stepped aside. That chapter is now closed, and we need to move on."

Fort said he hopes Berlon's resignation will not damage the party's chances of fielding a competitive candidate in next year's 2014 Senate race.

"I hope it doesn't," Fort said. "The fact of the matter is this provides us an opportunity to come together and stabilize our infrastructure, an opportunity we should take advantage of."