DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN QUITS AFTER TOUGH YEAR.(B SECTION)(Column)

Byline: ERIC ERNST

The chairman of the Democratic Party in Charlotte County resigned Monday evening. And if you want an indication of the state of the local party these days, consider this: outside of a tight circle and a handful who attended the Democratic Executive Committee meeting, no one even knew it.

One could excuse Chairman Alex Gordon for wishing to slip out quietly. It hasn't been a good year for Democrats.

At the national level, they've had to bear President Clinton's impeachment proceedings.

At the state level, after ousting Rep. Willie Logan as House leader and offending black party loyalists, they've helped Florida become the …