Essex County Dems Beating GOP In Battle Of Bucks: Election 2019

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Democratic Party committee in Essex County has a massive financial advantage over its GOP counterpart as campaigning for the 2019 general election enters the home stretch, state officials reported Wednesday.

On Oct. 30, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJELEC) released preliminary finance reports for Democratic and Republican county committees, which cover Jan. 1 to Sept. 30.

The Democratic Party committee in Essex County raised $256,882 and spent $277,114. It has $87,888 cash-on-hand.

On the flip side of the coin, the Republican Party committee in Essex County raised no contributions and spent $1,775. It has $17,732 cash-on-hand.

Some recent fundraising efforts from the Essex County Democratic Committee include a "Road to Victory Reception" featuring Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin in West Orange, as well as the committee's inaugural "Golf Outing" event held in Short Hills.

ACROSS NEW JERSEY: FUNDRAISING LAGGING, OFFICIALS SAY

According to the NJELEC, statewide fundraising by Democratic and Republican county political parties through Sept. 30 was up just one percent compared to 2015, the last election when Assembly candidates were alone on the ballot.

In New Jersey, Democratic county committees raised a combined $2.89 million and spent $3.13 million. Republican county committees raised a combined $1.99 million and spent $1.93 million.

Democrats had $2.16 million cash-on-hand to the GOP’s $792,701.

“While county party fundraising may not be in absolute free-fall, it is well below totals during the previous decade,” said executive director Jeff Brindle. “For instance, county party committees together raised 34 percent less this year than the $7.4 million raised in 2009.”

Brindle said Democratic officials in New Jersey may have felt less fundraising pressure during the quarter because their combined cash reserves are triple those of Republicans.

“You always want to approach the election with more cash in the bank than your opponents,” Brindle commented. “From that standpoint, Democratic county parties as a group have an advantage this quarter.”

Democrats currently hold a 54-to-26 margin in the Assembly. They have held the majority since 2002.

While fundraising efforts may be stagnating among county committees, overall spending continues to rise, increasing by a total of 21 percent since 2015, the NJELEC stated.

According to Brindle, bipartisan changes are needed to help reverse the growing flow of funds from special interest groups – which “often operate in the dark” – back to political parties, which are more “accountable and transparent.”

Potential reforms before the state legislature that could help end the trend include creating a single state pay-to-play law, raising the contribution limit for public contractors from $300 to $1,000, and raising contribution limits for county parties and other parties and candidates, Brindle stated.

Higher contribution limits are long overdue, Brindle said. Except for gubernatorial candidates, party and candidate contribution limits haven’t been raised since 2005, even though inflation has gone up nearly 32 percent during that period.

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