Wichita ? The Kansas Democratic Party’s mid-year “DemoFest” convention was thrown into turmoil this weekend after the abrupt resignation of the party’s chairman Larry Meeker.

And the situation was further complicated by the fact that party officials had neglected to send out formal notices that the party’s state committee would be meeting during the convention. Because of that, according to the party’s bylaws, the committee is prevented from taking any action to name a new chairperson this weekend.

Meeker resigned early Friday after controversy erupted over comments he had made to Kansas news outlets, suggesting that Democrats needed to change their brand and image to appeal to a more conservative voting bloc.

In particular, he reportedly told the Wichita Eagle earlier in the week that the party included people who were both for and against same-sex marriage, as well as abortion rights. Both of those issues are specifically addressed in the party’s official platform.

“He made some comments in the press the other day that seemed to dismiss some of the key points, specifically on the issue of marriage equality, dismissing that,” said Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s largest gay rights group, and a member of the party’s executive committee. “Because of the group I represent, that was pretty much unacceptable.”

Some Lawrence-area Democrats also said they were surprised by Meeker’s comments.

“I was concerned about the statements, but I didn’t expect a resignation,” Rep. Boog Highberger said. “I think the timing’s not great. But I’m confident we can come together and move forward.”

Meeker’s comments, and his subsequent resignation, helped expose a rift within the Kansas Democratic Party that has boiled beneath the surface, but which few Democrats have talked openly about until now — a rift between those who think Democrats need to reach out more to independents and moderate Republicans to form a governing coalition, and those who think the party needs to work harder to sell its own political views to a larger audience.

“I think that’s something you’ve probably heard from (former Lawrence Rep.) Paul Davis, that you’ve probably heard from other Democrats that run in the state of Kansas,” said Melody McCray-Miller, a former state representative from Wichita who now serves on the party’s executive committee. “The fact of the matter is that it is predominantly a Republican state, so it’s quite natural that you would talk about those issues.”

Rep. Tom Sawyer, another Wichita Democrat and a former House minority leader, said that initially he didn’t think Meeker was intending to back away from the party’s official support for marriage equality or abortion rights.

“I don’t think he was saying that,” Sawyer said. “I didn’t see all of his comments, but the reality is we do have a platform and he should stand by it.”

Meeker’s abrupt resignation also created another problem for Democrats. Under the party’s bylaws, 10 days notice must be given before the party’s state committee can meet and take any action.

And even though it has been known for months that the state party would be meeting in Wichita during the DemoFest convention, party officials neglected to send out an official notification of the meeting, along with a tentative agenda. Because of that, officials said Friday, the state committee is prevented from taking any votes at its meeting Saturday, including any vote to name a new chairperson.

The party’s executive committee did meet Friday morning, however, and agreed to hold a special state committee meeting Oct. 3 in Salina to select a new chairperson.

Until then, the party’s first vice-chairperson, Kathryn Focke of Manhattan, will take over the responsibilities of the chairperson.

As early as Friday afternoon, only hours after Meeker’s resignation, a handful of names already were circulating as likely front-runners to become the next chairman. They included former House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, of Greensburg, and Wichita attorney Lee Kinch, a former vice chairman of the party.

McKinney was the subject of a draft movement just before the party’s last convention in March in Topeka. Although he declined the nomination, he told state party officials then that Kansas Democrats have focused too much in recent years on urban voters in the Kansas City-Lawrence-Topeka corridor and have largely ignored rural areas where Democrats once were competitive.

“I think by the end of the weekend, we will have coalesced behind someone who is very experienced and will be well suited to lead this party in the 2016 and 2018 elections,” said Rep. John Carmichael, of Wichita.