Cumberland County Democrats continue their run of ignoring their own by-laws when it fits their agenda. This evening, July 17th at 6pm, the Vineland Democratic committee Chair will convene a meeting knowing full well that they will not have the quorum required by their bylaws. According to the municipal party’s bylaws at least 20% of the membership and 2 officers need to be present for a quorum to be established. There are currently four officers in the party and three have made it clear that they will not attend the meeting in protest of the Chair’s attempt to remove Vice-Chair, Dr. Joeigh Perella, denying the meeting a quorum.

Vineland Chair Bonnie Martin is attempting to ignore the bylaws and remove myself as an officer. Making up rules that suit her needs, she claims to have appointed another individual as Vice Chair despite my still occupying that position. The Vineland Committee voted to confirm me as Vice Chair last June. Ms. Martin also claims that I am not a member of county committee as my appointment last summer, after I moved from the seat I was elected to, was done “improperly.” However, Ms. Martin fails to mention that she was the one who appointed me to the seat and that the manner in which I was appointed was used to appoint other members to the committee, members whose membership is not being questioned. She also fails to mention that the bylaws do not stipulate that an officer also has to be a member of the municipal committee and that if my appointment was handled incorrectly, again by her, the municipal party has the option to simply correct her mistake and appoint me correctly. She presented to the rest of the membership that her only recourse was to remove me rather than make remediation, which is permissible under the bylaws.

This most recent incident is just another example of the Cumberland County Democratic Party making up the rules as they go and selectively employing bylaws only to silence voices of dissent, usually voices from marginalized communities. This is the same situation as when some party leaders, in March, attempted to introduce rules that would create a more democratic nominating process, and the County Chair decided to adjourn the meeting, without holding a vote, when it became clear to him that the majority in the room disagreed with him.

In her latest email to committee members, Bonnie Martin states that the sole role of the Municipal party is to elect Democrats. If that is the case then why would she want to remove myself from the committee? Over the past two years I have knocked on 2,960 doors in the County, made over 600 phone calls, sent thousands of texts on behalf of the local party, raised $38,500, been selected to attend prestigious training programs and earned endorsements from national organizations. What more would be needed?
How much longer should the Democratic voters of Cumberland County have to put up with selfish and corrupt leadership within their own party? Ignoring rules or selectively enforcing them are actions we expect to see from the other side of the political aisle, but as Democrats, we expect, and deserve, better.

Dr. Joeigh Perella (she/her)
Vice-Chair of Vineland Democratic Party