WALL TOWNSHIP – Mikie Sherrill was angry, so angry that she discarded her planned speech at Saturday’s Monmouth County Democratic convention to make a larger point.
“We believe you don’t take an oath to MAGA, you take an oath to the Constitution,” she said.
Sherrill, a Navy veteran and CD-11 House member, was reacting to the Friday firing of Admiral Lisa Franchetti as Navy chief. She was one of a number of top military officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown, dismissed by the Trump Administration. There had been comments that the Administration saw Franchetti as a “DEI hire.”
Sherrill said she spent much time Friday night digesting and discussing the news with admirals and other Navy officials.
The convention was about endorsing a gubernatorial candidate. Sherrill said she planned to talk about housing, a proliferation of warehouse construction and flood relief, but the military firings prompted her to go in another direction.
“I am so damn pissed off,” she bluntly told the convention.
What’s happening in D.C. makes this year’s gubernatorial election even more important. Sherrill said it is vital for New Jersey to preserve the values it has.
Voting by county committee members will continue until 4 p.m., so the results will not be known for some time.
Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, said that if voters want change, he’s their man.
“Folks up and down the state are looking for leadership,” he said, adding that he wants to “re-imagine New Jersey.”
Sean Spiller, the president of the state teachers’ union, said his background as an immigrant and a teacher makes him the best candidate to relate to average people.
“Elect one of us,” was how he put it.
The Monmouth convention, like one in Mercer a few days ago, was also about who was not there.
Of the six candidates in the race, the aforementioned three were the only ones there – sort of.
Candidate Steve Fulop was in the parking lot handing out a letter condemning some of the conventions as being stacked in favor of one candidate. He did not take part in the selection process.
Eventually, Fulop came inside the meeting venue – a union hall on Route 138 – and watched from the cheap seats, or rather the back of the room.
Steve Sweeney was not there, nor was he mentioned.
But the sixth candidate, Josh Gottheimer, did get some attention. A Monmouth party official said Gottheimer had denounced the convention as a “charade.” The official objected to that characterization, noting that voting is by secret ballot and that last year, Monmouth Democrats endorsed Andy Kim for Senate, as opposed to the establishment candidate, Tammy Murphy.
The Gottheimer campaign issued the following statement:
“Since I launched my campaign, I’ve traveled to every county across the state, talking to folks in diners about how Jersey is too damn expensive and how my ‘tax cut plan’ will help solve our affordability crisis. I’m launching the next phase of my ‘Jersey Diner Tour’ – focused on tax cuts and lower costs. There is no better way to understand the challenges our families are facing and to solve their problems, than to hear directly from them. As for upcoming conventions, my rule is simple: I’m not walking into any diners where I know I’m going to get whacked. – where the fix is in. I’m grateful to our Democratic committee members and I’ll continue to sit down with them and voters across our great state.”
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The Monmouth County Democratic Convention recently made headlines as attendees expressed outrage over various issues within the party. According to a report by Insider NJ, tensions ran high as party members voiced their frustrations with the current state of affairs.
One of the main points of contention at the convention was the lack of diversity within the party leadership. Many attendees criticized the lack of representation for minority groups and called for more inclusivity in decision-making processes. Some even went as far as to accuse party leaders of perpetuating systemic racism within the organization.
Another issue that sparked outrage at the convention was the perceived lack of transparency in the party’s decision-making process. Attendees expressed frustration over what they saw as backroom deals and favoritism, with some alleging that certain candidates were being unfairly favored over others.
In addition to these concerns, there was also widespread dissatisfaction with the party’s overall direction and strategy. Many attendees felt that the party was not effectively communicating its message to voters and was failing to mobilize support for key issues.
Overall, the Monmouth County Democratic Convention served as a platform for party members to voice their frustrations and demand change. It remains to be seen how party leaders will address these concerns and work towards rebuilding trust and unity within the organization.
