Is there no Democratic Party in Ocean County? One candidate cites disarray

LITTLE EGG HARBOR - The two Democratic candidates for Township Committee have withdrawn their candidacies in the November election, with one of them complaining that the party in Ocean County is in disarray and in cahoots with Republicans.

In a Sept. 1 email on file at the Ocean County Clerk's Office, former Township Committee candidate Sommer Fairl wrote that she was pressured to withdraw her candidacy by local Democratic leaders for reasons she did not elaborate upon.

"I entered this campaign fully committed to enter the general election, but hidden agendas have created an atmosphere of disunity in the Great Bay Democratic Club," Fairl wrote.

"The Democratic Party here in Ocean County is severely fractured," she continued. "The organization is disorganized and lacks the support and manpower to properly run a campaign. Disagreements and secret closed door meetings with Republican lawyers (behind my back) and the lack of support from the Great Bay Democratic Club was highly disappointing."

Fairl ended her email by wishing her Republican opponents in the race "nothing but the best of luck."

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In May, John Hobler, Fairl's running mate, withdrew his own candidacy for the Little Egg Township Committee, citing "unforseen circumstances" at the time.

Hobler and Fairl were to have faced Republican incumbents Ray Gormley and John Kehm in the Nov. 7 general election.

Ocean County Clerk Scott M. Colabella said Tuesday that the Democratic Party has until the close of business on Thursday to name replacement candidates. As of Tuesday morning, Gormley and Kehm were unopposed for re-election.

The Ocean County Democratic Party is perhaps the weakest in New Jersey; unable to win a countywide race since the 1980s. Although Democrats have enjoyed some victories at the municipal level, most notably in Brick Township under the leadership of Mayor John Ducey, Democratic candidates throughout Ocean County complain each year about the lack of money and resources to fund effective campaigns.

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Moreover, this is not the first time Democratic candidates in Ocean County have accused their party leadership of attempting to undermine their local campaigns.

In the spring of 2016, dissidents in the county Democratic organization even filed a federal lawsuit against the leaders of the organization, essentially arguing that Democratic leaders in Ocean County are in league with their counterparts in the Ocean County Republican Party to protect the political status quo.

In the complaint, former freeholder candidates Scott Neuman and Tracy Caprioni alleged that Democrats "have effectively allowed Republicans to control the Ocean County Democratic Party in return for a few political patronage jobs, and have acted to impede Democrat(ic) candidates from winning anywhere in Ocean County."

Earlier this year, Ocean County Democratic Chairman Wyatt Earp barred all news media from covering the party's annual county convention in Berkeley.

Erik Larsen: 732-682-9359 or elarsen@gannettnj.com