COEUR d’ALENE — With just over a month before a presidential primary election, a late development is shaking up the organizational structure within Kootenai County Democrats.

Shem Hanks, chair of the Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee, sent an unexpected resignation letter to fellow Democrats early Friday. Citing developments in his personal life, he said his resignation would take effect immediately.

“I’ve got some private things coming down the pipeline,” Hanks told the Coeur d’Alene Press. “I’m getting married next summer. I have a lot going on right now, and this job: It’s definitely difficult on relationships. You spend a lot of time on this, and I already work 40 hours a week on top of it. I just don’t have the time and focus right now to do both well.”

In the letter, Hanks said the leadership change should in no way impact what he perceives as surging party momentum he’s seen during his 20-month tenure as committee chair.

“Whenever someone sends a resignation letter, there is always concern that something dramatically bad has happened,” he wrote. “This is not the case. However, I do need to spend more time focusing on life outside of the political arena.”

Vice chair Jan Studer will serve as acting chair over the weekend until Monday’s Central Committee meeting, where the committee will then likely elect an interim chair to finish out the remainder of the term, which is scheduled to run until May.

Hanks’ move also means he will step down from the state party’s executive committee. But he added the decision does not mean he’s disappearing from the local political scene.

“It is an emotional thing for me to step down,” he wrote, “but is necessary at this time.”

The move comes 33 days before a March 10 presidential primary with no clear Democratic Party standard-bearer. Party primaries and caucuses nationwide have also fallen under extra scrutiny after technical glitches during the Iowa caucus Feb. 3 contributed to reporting delays and tabulation discrepancies.

“I’m confident in next month’s primary,” Hanks said. “We’ve been working hard to make sure we’re properly prepared, and my resignation won’t impact that at all.”

As for the next Democrat to take the open chair as leader of the county’s Democratic Central Committee, he told The Press the job is really about listening to the party’s direction, rather than steering it.

“When I first took over as chair, I remember coming in and thinking, ‘You have all these great ideas for how you’re going to shake things up and rattle the tree,’ he said. “But the reality is, you have to be measured and reasonable with whoever comes forward with ideas, because one of those ideas could be the difference. You have to be very understanding and hearing of what people want to do within the party, because they have their own ideas and energy, and they just want to help. And you want to capture that …

“There’s a lot of energy in this party here in Kootenai County, and I’m proud to have played a part in that.”