Why Most Democrats Lose In Ocean County

by Patricia A. Miller

There are compelling reasons why most Democrats are reluctant to step up and file to run for office in Ocean County.

The party leadership has failed miserably to support any county or municipal candidates. Most of the money in the county Democratic till must have gone to the race for the seats on the Toms River Council. Democrats won three out of the seats, breaking the stranglehold the GOP has enjoyed for many years.

But in the small towns, party support for local Democratic candidates is practically non-existent. And that's the way it's been for decades. If a Democrat wants to win, they have to raise their own money, knock on doors and fend for themselves.

Take the Berkeley Township Council race. Many people had no idea who was running against the four Republican incumbents, who all won.

No giant signs, no press releases, no fliers. Berkeley was a Democratic bastion for many years. But no more.

It's understandable that no one wants to go up against the mighty GOP county organization. The well-oiled machine and party chief George R. Gilmore funnel contributions to most Republican candidates in municipal races. If you run as a Democrat, you're pretty much on your own.

Years ago, Herb Germann was running for a seat on the then-Dover Township Committee. He didn't even have enough money for signs, so he painted his own.

Ocean County has been a Republican stronghold since the 1800s. There are more registered Republicans than Democrats, so that makes it more difficult also. The last time Democrats won seats on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders was way back in 1989.

Republican Joseph H. Vicari was re-elected to his 13th term on freeholder board, despite the fact that Ocean County recently paid out $550,000 to settle a workplace sexual harassment suit he was named in.

Almost half of the municipal races in Ocean County went unchallenged in 2017 because no Democrats filed to run. The GOP candidates had already won their races after they filed to run in the June primary.

So where is the Democratic party leadership in Ocean County? Or is there any?

And for anyone who failed to vote in yesterday's election, shame on you. Only 39 percent of Ocean County's registered voters bothered to cast a ballot, and that was during a year when the state's next governor would be selected.

So unless you had an ironclad excuse for not voting, don't complain for the next few years.

Photo: Patch file photo