By Charles Layton
By this coming Monday — if not sooner — the Democratic Party will probably have made up its mind whether to endorse incumbent Mary Beth Jahn or her challenger, Nicholas Williams, for Neptune Township Committee.
Whichever of those two gets the party’s blessing will have a significant advantage in the June 5 primary, which will decide the party’s candidates in the general election next fall.
Two members of the Township Committee are up for re-election this year: Jahn and Dr. Michael Brantley. Normally, the Neptune Township Democratic Party would have backed those two incumbents, but at its March 24 meeting the party’s district leaders chose to replace Jahn with Williams. That action has caused an acrimonious split within the party, with Jahn refusing to step aside and Mayor Randy Bishop supporting her.
The county party and its chairman, Victor Scudiery, get to make the final call, either reinstating Jahn as the party’s choice or following the endorsement of the Neptune party.
But whatever Scudiery decides, the remaining contender, be it Williams or Jahn, can still appear on the primary ballot, but in a far less favorable position.
In an email on Wednesday to some of her supporters, Jahn said, “I will not know until early next week as to whether the Monmouth County Democrats will choose to endorse me or the Neptune Democrats’ choice, but either way, I will be running in both the primary and general elections.”
Jahn also told The Coaster: “I think the public and citizens of Neptune should decide at the polls who they want to represent them rather than it being brokered by a small handful of people at a meeting.”
Williams has not made any public statements about the controversy.
Any candidate who seeks to be on the ballot must submit a petition signed by at least 18 voters who are registered either as Democrats or independents. Those petitions have already been submitted to the office of Municipal Clerk Richard Cuttrell, and if one were to judge by the petitions alone, Jahn would seem to have an edge. According to Cuttrell, her petition contains 68 valid signatures. Williams and Brantley filed a joint petition with only 23 signatures. However, Scudiery is not obliged to consider the size of the candidates’ petitions in making his choice.
The backing of the party is important because voters in primary elections tend to be party stalwarts, and many vote the straight party “line.” This is a formidable advantage for those who get listed on the line. Also, a candidate not listed on the party’s line doesn’t get party financial help.
Ocean Grove is one of the bases of Jahn’s support. At least half the names on her petition were the names of Ocean Grovers. Her popularity here is due in part to positions she has taken on controversial Ocean Grove issues. For instance, she took a more determined stand than any other Neptune politician against high-density condo development at the North End. She has also been active in efforts to clean up derelict buildings in the Grove.
Scudiery’s decision is expected to be announced on or around next Monday. Whatever he decides, it seems likely that the power struggle within the Neptune party will not soon end. The party’s current municipal chairman, James Mowczan, is said to be on the side of Williams in this dispute, while Mayor Bishop is in Jahn’s camp. Feelings are running very high.
The Republicans, meanwhile, have had a much easier time choosing their candidates. They will be Donald Beekman and Kevin Sheehan.
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For background on the Jahn-Williams controversy, go here.
