South Jersey Progressive Dems Force Democratic Process with Party Insiders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, members of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats (SJPD) gathered at Camden County Democratic Committee (CCDC) headquarters asking committee members for a fair election process that respects the voice of voters. The purpose of the special CCDC meeting was to fill the vacancy created by incumbent commissioner, Carmen Rodriguez. Commissioner Rodriguez was listed on the June 7 primary ballot while unbeknownst to the 45,000 Democrats who participated in the election, Rodriguez had already resigned from office and was no longer in the race.

SJPD members contended that Commissioner Rodriguez was, in effect, yet another phantom candidate in the tradition that has long been a feature of Camden County ballots, and they have been organizing to oust the phantoms from the ballot and restore integrity to Camden County elections. This was a new election scenario that appeared, once again, to impede a free and fair democratic process.

During last night’s CCDC meeting, Merchantville Democratic Committee members, who ran with SJPD in 2021 and won off the line, nominated Rebecca Holloway. Ms Holloway was one of the SJPD county commissioner candidates in the primary who garnered 12,000 votes. This nomination from the floor was intended to provide an alternative to Ginny Betteridge, the candidate who had been secretly selected by party insiders. The contested election meant that voting would occur via secret ballot, a welcome surprise to SJPD members since in the past CCDC members always conducted an open voice vote. While Ms Betteridge ultimately won, Ms Holloway as a write-in still garnered more than 10% of the vote, a clear indication that there is an appetite within the party for choices other than those chosen by the machine.

“Reflecting on last night’s events, I continue to be dismayed by the phantom candidates that undermine the integrity of our elections. And there should have been an open process to fill this vacancy. The Democrats have held unilateral power on the county commissioner board for decades so the person installed behind closed doors last night will certainly win in the General Election in November and then go on to control part of our county’s half a billion dollar budget despite not being selected by the public. All that said, I commend the Camden County Democratic Committee for letting its members vote by secret ballot and I appreciate the marked civility with which our nomination from the floor was received. I hope this is a sign that the Camden County Democratic machine realizes we are going to continue to show up and work for a strong party and strong democracy,” said Kate Delany, President of South Jersey Progressive Democrats.

“The Democratic Party continues to rant about how we need to get the youth to show up and vote, but what we saw during this primary election is damaging to that idea. When people go to the polls, they have faith that who they are voting for is a committed candidate who will fight for their values. If the Democratic Party wants to get out the youth vote, then they must be committed to fair elections with complete transparency,” said Aidan DiMarco, head of South Jersey Young Progressive Democrats.

“There is a level of trust and transparency in our electoral system that is lacking in Camden County. Why was the name of an incumbent who resigned before an election still on the ballots? Camden County residents deserve to know that they are voting for someone who will represent them and not some random person chosen behind closed doors,” said Linda Rubiano of Pennsauken Progressive Democrats.

“In this scary time when personal autonomy rights are being taken away, Democrats should be shoring up our democratic institutions. If vacancies occur, there should be a process so people can interview. The will of the people needs to be listened to! That is a healthy democracy,” said Susan Druckenbrod of Cherry Hill Progressive Democrats.