GOP Claims Mailer 'Darkened' Photo Of Black Ocean City Official

OCEAN CITY, NJ — GOP officials accused a Super PAC's mailer of depicting a black Ocean City councilman in a racist manner. The mailer from the General Majority PAC darkened a photo of Antwan McClellan and gave him "Aunt Jemima" branding, according to Republican officials from the First Legislative District.

McClellan is running to represent District 1 in New Jersey's General Assembly as a Republican. JASM Consulting sent a fragment of the mailer in a press release, that blasted the representation of McClellan.

It displays a black and white image of McClellan inside an oval with a circular background. The mailer calls McClellan a "financial deadbeat" and states the following: "Assembly candidate Antwan McLellan (sic) was sued nine times for failing to pay tens of thousands in debts. McLellan (sic) still voted to hike property taxes by 23% in Ocean City."

McClellan said the following in a statement:

"The Democratic party claims to be the party of inclusion; however, the moment a person of color like me disagrees with their narrative, they launch an ad hominem attack, whip out their best ‘Aunt Jemima’ photograph and purposefully darken my complexion in order to suppress dissent.

"This attack ad launched against me isn’t just tone deaf, it’s totally deaf to the economic struggles that faced all the people of South Jersey in the recent trying economic times. I am a Republican because we support job creation and real opportunity not just giveaway programs. I know about that struggle firsthand and promise to diligently represent South Jersey to increase economic opportunities.”

Local Republicans demanded that local Democratic officials denounce the mailer. The party demanded denouncements from incumbents Bob Andrzejczak, Bruce Land, Matt Milam, and Cape May County Democrat Chairman Brendan Sciarra.

Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee Spokesperson Mickey Quinn said Team South Jersey — comprised of State Senator Andrzejczak and Assemblymen Land and Milam — had nothing to do with the mailer.

"Team South Jersey has nothing to do with any independent expenditure, as Antwan McClellan well knows," Quinn said. "However his refusal to address the content of this mailer is telling. It's honestly amazing to hear Antwan talk about economic opportunities when his track record as a financial horror show is as well documented as his history as a property tax raiser."

The Cape May County Democratic Party and the General Majority PAC did not return comment.

"The Cape May County GOP has worked hard to reach out to the African-American community and Antwan is without a doubt one of our brightest stars," County GOP Chairman Marcus Karavan said in a statement. "To see him subjected to these kinds of racist attacks is extremely distressing."

The General Majority PAC spends heavily to elect Democrats to office. South Jersey Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III raises money for the group and has significant relationships with the candidates it supports.

The "Aunt Jemima" character originally came from a minstrel show featuring black stereotypes. The logo for the syrup has been criticized for allegedly representing an archetype of a mammy — a stereotypical depiction of enslaved black women who took care of children in white households.

Similar allegations of darkening a photo in a racist manner were levied against TIME magazine in 1994. Both TIME and Newsweek featured OJ Simpson's mugshot on their covers in 1994.

TIME's photo of Simpson was noticeably darker than his mugshot on Newsweek, prompting public outcry of a case already laced with racial tension. TIME quietly substituted the edition on newsstands with a cover that didn't darken the image.

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