TOMS RIVER, NJ — Days after Ocean County Freeholder candidate Teddy Price announced he was endorsing Republican Bob Hugin in the U.S. Senate race, the Ocean County Democratic organization has called on Price to withdraw from the freeholder race.

Price, of Toms River, is listed as one of two Democrats running for freeholder against incumbent Republican Gerry P. Little and Gary Quinn, who recently replaced the ailing John Bartlett on the Republican ticket. Vince Minichino of Brick is the other Democratic candidate for freeholder. Price endorsed Hugin over Bob Menendez, the incumbent Democratic senator, last week. On Sunday, Price said he endorsed Hugin because "Bob Menendez is corrupt and other Democrats should have the courage to speak out against him!"

"I'm not withdrawing," said Price, the former president of the Toms River Democratic Club. "I intend to win." The Ocean County Democrats emailed a statement signed by the county's executive committee to their members on Sunday and posted the statement to Facebook, encouraging Democrats to contact Price and urge him to step down because of the Hugin endorsement, calling it one of several actions "hostile to our Democratic Party."

"He has attempted to hinder the critical goal of a Democratic Majority in the United States Senate by endorsing Bob Hugin and has joined with now-Republican Dan Rodrick, who has pledged to work for the re-election of Donald Trump," the message said. Hugin's website says he supports a number of the policies that are top priorities of the Trump administration, including immigration reform and the tax reform passed earlier this year. His campaign website also says he supports efforts to reform health care to make it accessible and affordable for all, and supports environmental policies that address climate change and renewable energy.

Menendez was tried last year on bribery and corruption charges but the case ended in a mistrial.

Rodrick, a Toms River Township councilman, renounced the Democratic Party in July and changed his affiliation to Republican in the wake of the passage of the state budget that included significant cuts in state aid to the Toms River school district. The change came six months after Rodrick was elected to the council as a Democrat.



The post alleged Price and Rodrick "illegally dissolved the Democratic Club and apparently took the club's money with them," and accused Price of "peddling Trump-like conspiracy theories — his own Ocean County 'pizzagate' against the Democrats." A message to the Ocean County Democrats' Facebook page seeking clarification was not answered, and the post was later edited to remove those claims.