Hi Kossacks,
First off, let me apologize to "Athena" (and anyone else) who read my April 1st article and were annoyed by what I wrote. It was in poor taste to pretend to run for office as a joke, as (I realize this now) it insults the thousands of good Democrats and Progressives who run for office with true committment and courage. I've since deleted the diary.
Ironically enough, however, the day after I recieved a phone call that will put me on a primary ballot anyway...just not as an town councilman. What happened is partly a product of politics in my part of New Jersey, and partly the result of six years of activism on my part. On Tuesday, I didn't have to "crash the gates" of politics - they were thrown open to me.
First, a little background on me. When I'm not blogging online or going through the rigors of Drew University (Madison, NJ), I'm active on the ground in New Jersey politics. I've helped a number of local campaigns since 2001, including three Congressional runs in NJ-07 (where Mike Ferguson is my pitiful excuse for a Representative), Tom Wyka in NJ-11, Freeholder (county commissioners in NJ parlance) and Assembly races in NJ-21 and 25, along with numerous Town Council races as well. I'm familiar with the "lay of the land" in New Jersey politics (so to speak), and I love every minute of it.
In my area of New Jersey, the Democratic tide is much shallower than, say, Hudson County. While I live in Democratic Union County (58% to Kerry in 2004, and Menendez in 2006), the western part of the county is actually Republican - and I live on the westernmost tip of it. While this leads to my having Democratic Freeholders, a Democratic Sheriff etc., it also leads to my having Republicans in the State Legislature - including Tom Kean, Jr. as my State Senator (he lost to Menendez in 2006, if you recall, and faces a stiff challenge in 2007 from Democratic Mayor Gina Genovese). To the north and west are even more Republican areas - Somerset and Morris County - where many towns and districts have not elected a Democrat since Watergate!
However, times are changing in this "horse country" region of the state, where residents like the Keans, Freylingheusens and so forth have lived for generations. In 2006 Linda Stender and Bob Menendez drew 46% in Somerset County, and Tom Wyka had the best showing of any Democrat in NJ-11 in recent memory. My own hometown, Berkeley Heights elected two Democrats to the town council, which had not happened for years. Even Tom Kean, Jr. drew just 54% in his legislative district - which had given him 67% in 2003 when he ran for State Senator. More diverse families are moving into the region, with varied incomes and political ideologies. Slowly, towns like Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Summit, Long Hill, Chatham and Watchung are moving towards the Democratic column.
So that is the environment I live in (and if you're from the area, feel free to quibble). Just as in suburbs all across the country, the Democratic Party is gaining ground in formerly Republican havens town by town, precinct by precinct. And that is where I am coming to in my story.
Today I turn 19. It is a birthday I won't soon forget, because today I formally submitted my petitions to the Union County Clerk to run for Union County Democratic Committee. If elected, I will be representing the Democratic Party in Precinct 10 of Berkeley Heights, bringing its party members' concerns, ideas and activism to light within and apart from the Union County Democratic Party.
The Union County Democratic Party operates like most other urban machines; you have mostly good, efficient government with the occasional few bad apples being tossed away and with plenty of "turf wars" taking place. While a unanimous Democratic government on the county level can lead to corruption and the infamous "pay-to-play" problems we see in New Jersey, it also leads to county improvements and reforms occuring more quickly due to the lack of partisan opposition.
However, the Union County Democrats are also open to new members and to new ideas. Last summer, I attended a DFA training forum, and after two days of working with amazing NJ DFAers (including Blue Jerseyans), I announced I would run for County Committee. Today, I kept that promise. Much to my surprise, the UCDC was more than open to having a young progressive like me come on board and be an active member of the organization. They even came to my house, helped me fill out the necessary paperwork and talked frankly with me about the issues and responsibilities I would face. They know, however, that my activity comes with a "price tag".
Just as any good Republican ought to have screamed at the GOP trifecta in Washington from 2003-2007 to "fix up their act", so too must Democrats in 2009 and beyond nationally keep a close eye on a Democratic government to ensure accountability. Likewise, this is what I will do in the Union County Democratic Committee upon my election in June (as I have the "party line", I shouldn't have any trouble). I will be an advocate for my fellow Democrats in Berkeley Heights, and I will do my work in the Committee honestly and justly.
2007 is shaping up to be another good year for New Jersey Democrats. I'm hoping that in my new position as Democratic County Committeeman, I will be able to push for progressive reforms and county intervention in both the political and socioeconomic areas of Berkeley Heights and the neighboring towns of western Union County. We also have great candidates running in the area to take on Republican legislators. In the 25th (Morris County)Dana Wefer (who got 45% running for Morris County Freeholder in 2006 in a deeply Republican county) is running for State Assembly with two excellent running mates against a trio of Republicans - "Curly" Bucco, "Larry" Merkt and "Mo" Carroll. I'll profile my friends and their really rotten opponents in the near future.
In my 21st district, Long Hill Mayor Gina Genovese (the first openly lesbian Mayor in NJ history) will be running for State Senate against Tom Kean, Jr. (he of nasty campaigning against Bob Menendez fame). Gina is a remarkable lady, and I look forward to helping her out. In Somerset County, Melonie Marano (a Green Brook Councilwoman) is running for Freeholder, just one year after the Democrats came within an ace of winning two Freeholder seats in that Republican county. As with Gina and the 25th team, I'll be updating you on Melonie's campaign throughout the cycle.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing your comments.