Recent losses may be due to lack of funds, say members
By: William Wichert
Democrats have a problem.
The party is preparing to occupy the governor’s seat for a second consecutive term and it already holds a substantial majority in the state Legislature, but locally, Democrats keep losing elections.
Last week’s contest only continued that tradition. With the exception of incumbent Democrats winning in Fieldsboro and Florence, the party lost in four other municipal races and, in Mansfield’s case, it was not even present on the ballot.
Some might say these results are typical of the Republican stronghold that is Burlington County, but up until a few years ago, Democrats controlled several local governing bodies, such as in Bordentown Township, North Hanover, and Mansfield, that have since shifted the other way, begging the question what happened?
The answer is not as simple as the voting totals. In several phone interviews over the last week, most Democrats attributed their loss to a lack of funding and some pointed their fingers at residents moving into newer developments, while others simply said the crown goes to those who knock on the most doors.
For John Kocubinski, the Democrat who lost his bid last week for a municipal seat in North Hanover, the answer may just be who shows up at the polls on Election Day.
"Democrats stayed home," said Mr. Kocubinski. "It seems like Republicans are more apt to vote."
The Money Question
When trying to unravel the Democrats’ losing streak, however, many have pointed their fingers to a constant factor in any political campaign: the money. They say the cost of running for local office has skyrocketed over the years, and that Republicans are winning because they have more dollars to spend.
"We’re all underfunded," said Mr. Kocubinski, who originally lost his seat when Republicans took control of the Township Committee in 2003. "There’s an organization, but there’s only so much money to go around."
With little financial support from the Burlington County Democratic Committee, many local candidates said their campaign funds routinely come from their own pockets in pursuit of any publicity that will get them elected. As new developments bring in more residents, the cost of sending campaign fliers to all potential voters starts to increase.
According to the state Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), the price of such publicity is steadily growing. Between 1988 and 2004, the last year that figures are available, the amount of money spent on local elections across the state has increased from $8.7 million to $18.1 million, an ELEC report states.
During this same time period, the gap between county Democrats and Republicans has been widening as well. In 2004, county Democrats spent $244,883 and Republicans laid out $1.4 millionthe highest of any county Republican committee in the state, according to an ELEC report.
While this spending gap came in the same year that Republicans won all county seats by large margins, the connection between money and electoral success is still an uncertain one, given the pattern in Mansfield over the years.
In that municipality, Republican candidates outspent and beat their Democratic opponents in 2002 and 2003, but when the spending evened out in last year’s race, the Republicans still won.
‘A Battle of Ideas’
Money may be the backbone of local campaigns, but Democrats and Republicans alike have said that getting it requires something morea plan for the municipality and a commitment to win.
"You can’t attract money if you don’t have candidates to attract donors," said Ken Kurtz, former chairman of the Mansfield Township Democratic Committee. "It all starts with somebody convincing a prospective donor that you’re for real."
Being "for real," said Mr. Kurtz, means having a quality campaign manager, professional consultants, and an advertising strategy to get your message out to the public. It takes money, but it also takes hard work and dedication, he said.
"Unfortunately for our party, I find a lot of people who are not committed to that extent," said Mr. Kurtz.
The township Democrats did not run any candidates in this year’s election for two Township Committee seats, but Mr. Kurtz said he is no longer connected to the organization. Representatives of the township’s Democratic committee could not be reached for comment before the Register-News’ deadline.
While Democrats were on the ballot for two seats in Bordentown Township, the township party there attributes its loss to poor campaigning strategies. Unlike their Republican opponents, the Democratic candidates did not go door-to-door and meet potential voters.
"It was difficult," said Pauline Angelo, chairwoman of the township Democratic committee, referring to time constraints that prevented the candidates from properly campaigning. "They need to get out there and sell what they got."
Ms. Angelo said money was still a big factor in the Democrats’ loss, but Republican Township Committeeman Mark Roselli said that argument only goes so far. To use a baseball example, he said, the New York Yankees spend the most money every year, but they don’t win the World Series every year.
"It’s the team that works the hardest and comes up with the best ideas," said Mr. Roselli. "That’s how you win elections."
When Mr. Roselli won his seat in 2000 as part of a Republican ticket that overturned the Township Committee’s Democratic majority for the first time in three years, he said, he succeeded because of his visionsomething that he finds lacking in Republicans running in statewide races.
"They’re afraid to articulate a vision. For a lot of Republicans in this state, they’re afraid to be a Republican," said Mr. Roselli. "It’s a battle of ideas."
Ideas, however, can separate a candidate from his party. Having left the Democratic party to run as a Republican in 2002, when Republicans took control of the governing body, Mansfield Mayor Art Puglia said his move was more personal than political.
"I think local government is not so much party than people," said Mayor Puglia, who was re-elected last week. "The Republicans asked me to run with them, and I thought we can do more for the township."
The township committees in Bordentown Township and Mansfield are now entirely run by Republicans, but Mayor Puglia said the Democrats should be counted out.
"If they want to get out and work, they have the ability to do it," he said.
Not Losing Hope
Down, but not out, is certainly how many Democrats feel.
Mr. Kocubinski said he already plans on running again for a Township Committee seat, and Ms. Angelo said the Bordentown Democrats should look to the younger generation to put their party back on top.
As this generation moves into the newer developments and starts to become politically active, it may help determine which party remains in office, at least that’s what Mr. Kurtz thinks is happening in neighboring Chesterfield Township, where this year’s race between an incumbent Republican and a Democratic challenger has been unusually close.
"You’re getting a lot of people from North Jersey and a lot are independents or Democrats," said Mr. Kurtz. "This is the beginning of a change people are going to see with voting patterns in Chesterfield."
On Wednesday morning, before the Register-News’ deadline, the contest between Republican Larry Durr and Democrat Robert Rupinski remained uncertain. Mr. Durr received 559 votes to Mr. Rupinski’s 556, but up to 28 provisional ballots were expected to be added to the mix tonight, Thursday.
Whether or not Mr. Rupinski wins, the tightness of the race makes one thing clear: the Democrats can have a presence in local elections, said Mr. Kurtz.
"They’re diluting this Republican base," he said. "They can no longer take this area for granted anymore."

