Former state Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes Jr. is the new chairman of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization.
Some 971 members of the county Democratic committee, a record turnout, cast votes in June 14 a contest between Barnes, 82, or Kevin McCabe, 38, who also sought the office. The party gathered at the Pines Manor, Edison, where shortly after 8:30 p.m. cheers erupted around Barnes as word got out that he had won by a margin of about 100 votes.
“There have been so many people involved, especially for an election of this type,” he told the crowd. “This is a truly grassroots Americana.”
Barnes will succeed Joseph Spicuzzo, who was chairman for 16 years before resigning in March after being arrested on charges of official misconduct and bribery in connection with his position as county sheriff. Spicuzzo served as sheriff for nearly 30 years, but did not seek re-election in 2010.
Helen Gottlieb served as acting party chair after Spicuzzo’s departure.
Barnes, who was nominated for party chairman by state Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19), said he looks forward to working alongside his running mate, Leslie Dominguez-Rodriguez, who was elected vice chairwoman of the county party. Dominguez-Rodriguez is the chairwoman of the Perth Amboy Democratic Organization.
In campaigning for the chairman post, Barnes noted that recent events had caused some to lose faith in the party, and he vowed to “embrace and reinforce the principles of trust, integrity and hard work on behalf of the residents of Middlesex County.”
Barnes said he is looking forward to receiving input from citizens around the county and moving the party forward.
“Onto November for a great victory,” he said of the upcoming general election.
Barnes, who lives in Edison, served as an assemblyman for the 18th Legislative District from 1996-2007. He has worked as a special agent of the FBI, a police director in Edison and East Brunswick and chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board. In the late 1940s, he served as a military policeman in the U.S. Army.
Despite a tense competition, McCabe and his running mate, Beatrice Moskowitz, vowed that they would unite with Barnes, Dominguez-Rodriguez and the party as a whole.
“Peter, you are a wonderful human being and we will continue to be there for you,” Moskowitz said.
McCabe, of the Sewaren section of Woodbridge, thanked his wife for her support during the campaign, including spending over 700 hours knocking on doors with him, and thanked the Woodbridge community in particular for their support.
“It is terrific how the Middlesex Democratic Party just ran with this,” he said. “It shows that we are all in the same mindset. For 970 people to come out together is incredible. There was a steady stream of people coming in to vote.”
McCabe, who was nominated for chairman by state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), was a Democratic county committeeman for 10 years and chairman of the party from 1999 to 2002. He is a former deputy state commissioner and commissioner of labor and workforce development. He is currently the corporate relations director for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters.
McCabe was proud of the election process that took place for the party leadership.
“This reinvigorates our party and leaves us in the best possible position, because up and down our ticket we are moving in the direction of unity,” he said.