Daws Opts for Independence in Township Committee Run

Len Daws is headed into uncharted waters.

Shunned by the West Deptford Democratic Party in favor of two new candidates, Daws has opted out of the Democratic primary in June, citing irreconcilable differences between himself and the higher-ups in the party.

“I don’t have any confidence in the local party leadership,” he said, calling it a “bittersweet departure.”

Instead, he’s chosen to run as an independent, a move that Daws acknowledged comes with a certain amount of risk in a township where party politics dominate, and where independents don’t typically run for committee seats. Still, he said he thinks people will stick with him, even without the D next to his name on the ballot.

“Times have changed,” Daws said. “People don’t vote down party lines any more.”

The decision to strike out as an independent wasn’t an easy one, Daws said. Though he felt completely confident he could win in a Democratic primary, he said he ultimately felt that would be the wrong move, and would put him in a position of running on a ticket that he sees as being bankrupt in terms of integrity.

After a round table discussion with about a dozen members of the community a few weeks ago, though, Daws said his mind was made up. He remains a registered Democrat, and said he has no plans to change that affiliation, but said he felt it best to stake out his own turf as an independent, apart from party platforms.

And the problems Daws sees the township facing–most notably, the more than $3 million hole in next year’s budget–are ones that need to be addressed now, rather than in January, when new committee members would take a seat on the dais. Daws said his track record as a veteran on township committee is valuable in times like these.

“I’m hoping people appreciate my experience,” he said.

But it’s not just his long run on the committee that Daws sees as being to his advantage. He said his willingness to reach out to others–whether that means Republicans, members of the general public or whomever–in trying to find solutions is a  strength.

“I think I can prove I can work across party lines,” he said.

Though he gets to bypass the primary election, the move to being an independent has its own set of challenges. Daws has to gather 100 signatures–as opposed to the 31 required for Republicans and 28 required for Democrats–by early June to get on the November ballot. Signatures on his petition can’t be on any other candidate’s, either.

Daws said his signature campaign is already going strong, and he hopes to have his petitions filed a month ahead of the actual deadline. He’s also planning on going above the minimum number of signatures, just to be safe.

Daws also knows he’s facing a big challenge in terms of finances from both Democrats and Republicans, though he pointed out the Democrats raised about $86,000 last year and only won one of the two seats in the general election.

He said he’ll run a frugal campaign based more on word-of-mouth and going directly to voters, instead of the typical mass mailings and other campaign strategies. Daws is also launching a website and Facebook page, and said he thinks social media will be a key part of the election.