Essex County Elections: What Do Party Committees Do? (Report)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — What is a local “party committee,” and what roles do its members play in county and municipal elections? That’s the surprisingly obscure question that a new report tries to tackle – using a recent example from Essex County to drive its point home.

According to The Jersey Bee, a nonprofit local news organization serving eastern Essex County, anywhere from 12,000 to 25,000 Democratic and Republican party members across the state serve on committees that wield significant influence over local elections.

These committees nominate candidates when vacancies pop up – such as the one created when New Jersey Assemblyman and former Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia left a vacuum of power in town after his recent election to the state Legislature. See Related: Gamble Appointed Bloomfield Mayor Over Mundell; Future Showdown Looms

Members of party committees also determine which candidates get fundraising support, and run voter engagement campaigns when election season swings around, the Bee reported.

The problem? If its members don’t create clear boundaries, they risk being run by a “party boss” or “political machine” where a small cabal of people can control local party operations, candidates for office and legislative agendas, the report says.

Unlike town council meetings, committee meetings are not open to the public because political parties are private organizations, the report points out.

Check out the Bee’s explainer online here.

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