For immediate release: July 17, 2023

Piscataway., NJ — Following last Friday’s announcement that longtime, Assemblymember Democrat Joseph V. Egan will not seek re-election, despite running in the 2023 June Democratic primary, members of the Piscataway Progressive Democratic Organization (PPDO) called on Democratic Party leaders and members to expand representation of Legislative District 17 to better reflect the community. Reports indicate that the Assemblyman’s son is considered the front-runner for selection by the Middlesex County Democratic Organization (MCDO). Currently, the district is represented by three older, straight white men, despite being one of the most diverse districts in the Garden State.

“The residents of Legislative District 17 deserve to have legislators who reflect the values and the identities of the voters they serve. The knee jerk suggestion that this seat should just be handed to Mr. Egan’s son, as if this were still a monarchy, is absurd and out of touch with the voters who live here,” said Gina Register, a newly elected MCDO member representing Piscataway Ward 3, District 8.

PPDO Vice President Kamuela Tillman, who also serves as District Captain in Piscataway’s Ward 3, District 9 agreed. “LD17 is a vibrant and diverse place, where the Democratic Party has more women than men. NJ continues to rank at the bottom of women representatives in elected office and especially in the Legislature, but we now have an opportunity to move our party and our state in the right direction by expanding the diversity of our representation, ”she said.

The district is extremely diverse. PPDO leaders said they have been in touch with progressive leaders in other parts of the district and are in discussions to run a candidate. The group won a historic five seats on the Piscataway/MCDO Committee and long-time New Brunswick activist Charlie Kratovil earned a record number of votes in his off-the-line challenge to MCDO Kevin McCabe’s re-election as Chair last month.

“Voters and taxpayers in Piscataway, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Franklin and parts of south Bound Brook deserve elected officials who will fight for justice, fairness and transparency. It is past time for women and people of color from our communities to be seen and heard in the halls of the State House, on issues like abortion, racial equity, environmental justice and economic fairness. We urge the MCDO not to miss this moment,” said Staci Berger, PPDO president and recently re-elected MCDO member representing Piscataway 3-9.

The group also raised concerns about the primary election itself. Last year, Piscataway voters were treated to the same post-primary antics by the Party when the late Councilman Jim Bullard stepped aside after winning his primary race against popular former school board member Ralph Johnson. The municipal party selected someone else to run, instead of Mr. Johnson, in the general election, although he came in second in the primary and was willing to serve.

“Primaries could be so much more fair, which would lead them to be more competitive and bring more diverse representatives to the forefront. Voters should select their candidates, not party insiders. The bait and switch shenanigans must stop. Ending the County Line and instituting Ranked Choice Voting would allow the Party to choose from people who have already run and demonstrated some electoral success, while making our Party more diverse and more representative of Black and Brown voters,” Johnson said.

The MCDO is expected to announce a time for members to choose Egan’s replacement in the coming weeks.

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