By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A former editor at the Trenton Times and aide to former U.S. Rep. Rush D. Holt was named last month to lead the Princeton Democratic Party.
Scotia MacRae became the party chairwoman during voting by the municipal party committee in June, a week after the primary. She succeeded Peter Wolanin.
She said in a phone interview Thursday that she sees her role as getting out Democrats to vote “at all levels of government,”
“It’s imperative that people vote,” she said.
She assumed control of a party in firm control of municipal government, with Mayor Liz Lempert and all six council members being Democrats. Yet at times, the party has seen its share of internal factions between sides aligned with Mayor Lempert and Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller.
Those tensions surfaced in 2014 during a bruising primary for council between incumbent and Crumiller ally Jo S. Butler and two Lempert backed-candidates, a contest that saw Ms. MacRae side with Ms. Butler.
“I think it should be one party. I think that there have been differences. But I come down very strongly on the side of one unified party in Princeton,” Ms. MacRae said. “Once a primary is over, we all have to get together and work together.”
Ms. Butler said Thursday that she was “delighted” that Ms. MacRae is leading the party.
“She’s a dedicated Democrat and I think she’ll be extremely active in a really fair and open way,” Ms. Butler said in describing her as a rock of strength in that 2014 race.
Ms. MacRae, 68, is originally from Pennsylvania but has lived in Princeton for more than 30 years. She worked at the Trenton Times, first as the book editor then as the opinion page editor, from 1988 to 2000.
Council candidate and fellow Democrat Tim Quinn worked at the paper at the same time, although in a different editorial department.
“I’m looking forward to working with her on the campaign,” Mr. Quinn said Thursday.
One of Ms. MacRae’s career stops also included working as an aide to Mr. Holt for three years, 2010 to 2013, as his director of constituent services.
She traces her political development to a formative moment that happened as a child.
She said she had become a Democrat in kindergarten growing up in the Republican town of State College, Pennsylvania. She recalled being upset about local officials refusing to pay for a traffic light on a four-lane highway near where she went to school.
