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Every year, a few underfunded progressives file to run off-the-line for office in South Jersey. Every year, they get smoked by the South Jersey Democratic machine, one of the most powerful organizations in the state.

Will 2023 be any different?

In next months Democratic primary, more than a dozen off-the-line candidates on at least three distinct slates will appear on the ballot in Camden and Gloucester Counties. At stake are three legislative seats, five countywide offices, and a smattering of local positions, including four seats on the Camden City Council.

Top South Jersey Democrats arent acting particularly concerned about any of the races, with good reason. Their track record is near-flawless outside of nationalized federal races, theyve virtually never lost in recent decades and their opponents have next to no money or prominent supporters to get their message out.

But given the diminishment of the South Jersey Democratic organization in recent years, and with longtime boss George Norcross supposedly stepping back, it will be worth seeing just how strong the organization line is and whether anyone, anywhere, can break through.

The Good Democrats

For decades, Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) had a stranglehold on the 3rd legislative district, in both primary and general elections. But now Sweeney is gone, dispatched by a heretofore unknown truck driver, and a group of off-the-line progressives are trying to take his place.

The leader of the anti-organization 3rd district ticket is Glassboro teacher Mario De Santis, who is running for State Senate. Hes teamed up with fellow teachers Tanzie Youngblood and Robert Fitzpatrick on the Good Democrats slate; three Gloucester County Commissioner candidates and two Glassboro Borough Council candidates are affiliated with the ticket as well.

Theyll go up against the organization slate helmed by former Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro), who is running for the Senate this year alongside Gloucester County Commissioner Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and nonprofit leader Dave Bailey.

Burzichelli and his team are, of course, the heavy favorites to win the Democratic nomination. But De Santis, Youngblood, and Fitzpatrick said that in their conversations with voters, people are tired of the status quo and want new voices on issues like education and affordability.

We believe that direct voter contact is going to make a difference, Youngblood said. The reception that we get from members of the community is just phenomenal.

Burzichelli, for his part, said that he was happy to have the support of all three county parties in the district, and chided his opponents for not participating in the process.

Were unanimously endorsed by all three of the county processes that means a great deal to us, he said. The others, by the way, didnt participate. We didnt see them, dont know them. I know of them, because a couple of them seem to run for something every year.

Indeed, both De Santis and Youngblood have run prior campaigns, without much success. De Santis was booted off the ballot for State Senate in 2021, and lost to Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) 77-23% in 2022 congressional primary; Youngblood, meanwhile, took on then-Democratic State Sen. Jeff Van Drew in a 2018 congressional primary, losing 57%-19%.

According to Burzichelli, the 3rd legislative district, which covers all of Salem County and parts of Gloucester and Cumberland Counties, isnt exactly a hotbed of the kind of progressivism that De Santis and Youngblood have peddled in the past.

I would not brand us as a left-leaning, liberal legislative district, Burzichelli said. [The 2021 elections] clearly tell us that its not a progressive-leaning place.

Team De Santis shot back that it was Burzichellis brand of moderate, establishment politics that lost those 2021 elections to begin with.

Sweeney and Burzichelli and the whole group were too lazy to get out and go see the people and get the vote, Youngblood said. Thats the bottom line. They assumed that theyd get that vote just because they were the established Democrats, and were used to people just voting for them. And what happened? The people voted for Ed Durr. These Democrats were running against are very good at getting Republicans elected.

In order to get that message out, though, the Good Democrats need money or outside support; other than an endorsement from the New Jersey Working Families Party yesterday, they have neither. As of pre-primary fundraising reports, the slates joint fundraising committee had just $981 in it, while De Santis own account was more than $1,000 in debt. (Burzichellis team, by contrast, had around $60,000 on-hand.)

The other off-the-line Gloucester County candidates arent faring any better. The county commissioner team of Denise Brush, Everet Rummel, and Ted Howell raised a total of $91, while Glassboro council candidates Isha Strasser and Jennifer Courtney raised $45.

Despite the lesser resources, its really about working smart, De Santis said of the campaigns fundraising. Its really about targeting your resources in a highly effective way.

But even the smartest possible candidate would struggle to run a campaign on so little money. Unless they can dramatically improve their fundraising in these last few weeks before the primary, the Good Democrats lack of resources probably spells the end of this years campaign.

Still, Burzichelli said that hed be happy to see his opponents join forces with the South Jersey Democratic organization in their future endeavors.

If I get to meet them, Id certainly want to encourage them to become more involved with the operation in general, he said. Were always looking for candidates.

South Jersey Progressive Democrats

One county over, Camden County progressives have their sights set on the board of county commissioners again.

At this point, its routine for Camden County to host a Democratic primary for county commissioner. With the exception of 2020, there has been a contested commissioner (or freeholder) primary every cycle since 2016, a rather remarkable feat; there are probably some New Jersey counties that havent even had one contested commissioner primary in that entire time.

And every year, the off-the-line candidates get crushed. In 2022, for example, Commissioners Edward McDonnell and Carmen Rodriguez got a combined 75% of the vote against two challengers despite the fact that Rodriguez had quietly resigned from the commissioner board four days before the primary.

Even the most optimistic of New Jersey progressives would be foolhardy to think this year will bring anything but more of the same. But two challengers, Kate Delany and Sam Sweet, have stepped up to run anyways against incumbents Louis Cappelli and Jonathan Young.

Delany, the president of South Jersey Progressive Democrats, is probably the most prominent figure in the Camden anti-organization apparatus. Back in 2019, she scored a major upset in the race for Democratic county committee in Collingswood, deposing the party-backed committeemembers and becoming the new municipal Democratic chairwoman.

It was a remarkable high point for South Jersey progressives, and it also didnt last long. In May 2021, Delanys campaign to flip control of the Collingswood Borough Commission fell well short; month after that, the Camden Democratic organization won back the county committee seats they had lost two years earlier.

Delany has been left out in the cold since then, and this year almost certainly wont change that. She and Sweet havent filed any campaign finance reports yet, but theyre most likely broke; Sweet is also hedging his bets and simultaneously aiming for a vacant seat on the Gloucester Township Council, a campaign that has led to the resurfacing of Sweets unfortunate posts on social media.

But the South Jersey Progressive Democrats did manage to snag something important: Column A on the ballot. And unlike in many previous years, there arent any phantom candidates to muddy the ballot and push real contenders off into Ballot Siberia.

While that wont be anywhere near enough to win countywide, it could help Delanys parallel quest to reclaim a spot on the county Democratic committee. She and her allies are contesting nine of Collingswoods 18 county committee spots, and there will also be contested races for county committee in Cherry Hill, Runnemede, and Merchantville.

Progressive Democrats for Camden City

Perhaps the best chance for off-the-line candidates to win anywhere in South Jersey this year is in the city of Camden. (And even there, chances arent great.)

Two years after popular Mayor Vic Carstarphen took office, the citys four ward-based council seats are up this year; all four are being contested by the Progressive Democrats for Camden City slate, which despite its name does not appear to be related to Delanys countywide slate.

The 1st ward race is easily the most prominent of the four races, by virtue of the candidate South Jersey Democrats have chosen for the organizational line: Arthur Barclay, a former state assemblyman who resigned in 2018 after being arrested on domestic violence charges. Barclay has largely stayed out of the limelight since then, but he remains on good terms with the Camden organization, and now has the party line against challenger Jose Javier Ramos.

The 2nd ward features a three-way race among incumbent Councilman Christopher Collins, Progressive Democrats candidate Theo Spencer, and Elton Custis, who got 23% of the vote against Carstarphen in the 2021 mayoral primary.

In the 3rd ward, incumbent Councilwoman Marilyn Torres is running off-the-line after she and two other councilwomen broke with the county organization in early 2022. Neither of Torress two allies are running for re-election, but Torres is forging ahead against party-backed candidate Falio Leyba-Martinez, who is now on his fourth local campaign.

But its the 4th ward that South Jersey Democrats are the most unsure about. There, the party is running Jannette Ramos, a community activist who has never run for office before, making her something of an unknown quantity against challenger Delbert Neal.

One complicating factor is voter turnout. In the 2021 Democratic primary, the city of Camden, population 71,791, cast a total of 4,333 votes. Without a gubernatorial or mayoral election on the ballot this year, turnout could drop even farther, meaning that the four wards may cast fewer than 1,000 votes each.

In that kind of low-turnout environment, neither side needs all that many votes to win. And there are at least some of the ingredients an underdog would need to win all of the citys contests making an upset not likely, but at least possible.

A few other Camden and Gloucester County towns are hosting contested primaries as well. Party-backed candidates in Paulsboro and Brooklawn face challengers, while Lindenwold is hosting what is essentially an open primary, where neither the incumbent mayor and his slate nor their opponents have the party line.

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Can anti-organization Democrats in South Jersey win something? Anything? - New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

To the editor:

Two weeks ago, I read a letter to the editor from someone who attended the Jefferson County Democratic Party meeting and wrote about the disharmony within. Then, there was a letter from Barb Davis, Local Democrats facing issues, that appeared May 7, which referred to conflict in the same organization.

Im intrigued by their comments. The letter from Davis reveals a rife among the Democrats concerning their political platform and ideology. It looks as if shes upset there is discord about the comments of some members, and the writer cannot, or will not, accept their point of view. I regard this as exposing the far-left philosophy of the Democrats of fall in line, be quiet and do as I say.

There appears to be an intolerance of differing opinions.

The writer is disturbed that some members of the executive committee refused to clarify or answer questions about changing their by-laws, referring to disrespect shown the chairwoman. Yelling at her every time she tried to speak mocking and bullying her and others they were gleeful in their attacks .

Why is anyone getting flustered over a tactic that has been learned well from the playbook of the Democrats? It shows they will turn on themselves if members dont toe the line.

It also is stated that the writer doesnt respect bullies and thugs. Where was she during the riots a few years ago? Were eyes and ears closed during the Supreme Court nomination hearings? What about threats made by Senate Leader Chuck Schumer on the steps of the Supreme Court that conservative justices will reap the whirlwind and better watch their backs? The writer states shes dusting off her activist shoes sending out a beacon watch for the blue flare. What are these code words for? Sounds like lessons learned from Schumer.

I ask members of the committee if they are concerned and have discussed ways to help the 60 percent of Americans who have less than $1,000 in savings to fall back on in case of emergencies? Why are we spending billions of dollars in Ukraine and not on American citizens in financial trouble? Are county Democrats content with high inflation, taxes, interest rates and gas prices? How about diminishing 401(k)s, evaporating security oil reserves, Chinese spy balloons and having 90 percent of our medications made in China or other countries?

It seems Democrats close their eyes to these problems. However, they believe biological men should be allowed in womens bathrooms and sports? They want to indoctrinate our children to take hormones and have surgery as young as 4 to change their sex. Democrats dont see this as child abuse or drag queens performing in kindergarten classes as pedophiles.

Democrats want illegal immigrants in America, but not living next to them. They forget what Barack Obama said in 2005: We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States unchecked (and) circumvent those waiting in line to come legally here.

Patti Morgan

Wintersville

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Wheres concern from Democrats? | News, Sports, Jobs - The Steubenville Herald-Star

EXCLUSIVE: Democrats spared no time going after the Republican nominee in the pivotal race for Kentucky governor following a brutal primary season, this time with a tough-on-crime stance that could widely appeal to voters in the deep-red state.

Tuesday's primary elections saw incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who polls show is one of the most popular governors in the country, sail to an easy victory, while Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron endured an onslaught of negative ads and a fierce proxy battle between his party's top presidential contenders.

In a six-figure television ad buy, a group backed by the Democratic Governor's Association (DGA) called Defending Bluegrass Values is taking aim at what it's calling Cameron's refusal to address the early release of violent criminals by Beshear's predecessor, former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.

TRUMP-BACKED DANIEL CAMERON WINS GOP PRIMARY FOR KENTUCKY GOVERNOR, WILL FACE INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT ANDY BESHEAR

"When former Gov. Matt Bevin gave more than a dozen violent criminals early release from prison, Attorney General Daniel Cameron promised he'd look into it," the ad, titled "Outrage," says. It references Bevin's controversial pardons of a number of criminals convicted of murder and rape in 2019 as he prepared to leave office.

"But for three years, Cameron has refused to appoint a special prosecutor, even as some of the criminals were arrested for new crimes. Cameron passed the buck, and Kentucky got hurt," the ad says.

Bevin was narrowly defeated by Beshear in Kentucky's 2019 gubernatorial election, the same year Cameron won his race for attorney general. Upon entering office, Cameron said the pardons were something his office would look into.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron speaks following his victory in the Republican primary for governor at an election night watch party at the Galt House Hotel May 16, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

BLACK REPUBLICAN RIPS LIBERAL PAPER'S RACE BAITER CARTOON DEPICTING HIM WITH LIGHTENED SKIN, BACKWARD HAT

Cameron did ask the FBI to investigate the pardons in 2020, including one that was alleged to be "improperly" issued because the family of the man receiving the pardon gave money to Bevin's campaign. Bevin denied the donations had anything to do with the pardon, and the FBI has not said whether there was any wrongdoing on his part.

A number of the criminals who received pardons from Bevin were arrested again.

"If Daniel Cameron covered for Matt Bevins appalling and corrupt pardons of violent criminals even as some of these criminals were getting arrested again why would Kentuckians trust him as their governor?" DGA communications director Sam Newton told Fox News.

President Donald Trump, right, smiles behind Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin during a rally at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Nov. 4, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

"Instead of passing the buck again, Daniel Cameron must finally answer for why he sided with Bevin and his cronies instead of Kentuckians by refusing to get to the bottom of this dangerous scandal."

Republicans are viewing the race between Cameron and Beshear as a prime flip target considering Beshear is one of the nation's few Democratic governors of a red state and the only Democrat holding statewide office in Kentucky other than his lieutenant governor, who ran on the same ticket.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and wife Britainy Beshear arrive for a state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 26, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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The GOP has its work cut out for it, however, as it tries to refocus its attention from the contentious primary toward the general election.

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Democrats come out swinging with tough-on-crime stance in deep-red state as Republicans play catch-up - Fox News

House Democrats pushed forward on Wednesday with a procedural move that could force a vote to increase the debt limit should negotiations between President Biden and Republicans collapse, moving despite signs of progress in the bipartisan talks to advance a long-shot Plan B to avert a default.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, wrote to his colleagues urging them to quickly sign a discharge petition, which can automatically force a House vote on legislation if 218 members sign it.

Though Mr. Jeffries noted there were signs after Tuesdays White House meeting hosted by Mr. Biden that a real pathway exists to find an acceptable, bipartisan resolution that prevents a default, he said Democrats must take all possible steps to avert a crisis.

At the same time, the president hasindicated openness to considering new work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid, a Republican demand opposed by Democrats in the House and Senate. Mr. Biden, before he left for Japan on Wednesday to attend a meeting of the Group of 7 nations, sought to downplay whatever concessions he might make, characterizing the potential changes to benefit requirements as not anything of any consequence.

The Treasury Department has projected that it could exceed its legal authority to borrow to pay the governments debt as early as June 1, leading to a disastrous default.

Given the impending June 1 deadline and urgency of the moment, it is important that all legislative options be pursued in the event that no agreement is reached, Mr. Jeffries wrote. He said that Representative Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, the senior Democrat on the Budget Committee, would be filing a discharge petition to provide a vehicle that may be necessary to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.

It is imperative that members make every effort to sign the discharge petition today, Mr. Jeffries wrote.

On Wednesday evening, Democrats lined up in the House chamber to sign the petition, with more than 200 lawmakers adding their names. Democratic officials expect that all 213 of their members will sign the petition if no breakthrough in the budget negotiations emerges.

The Democratic strategy faces long odds given the complexity of the maneuver and the partisan divide in the debt talks. Democrats would need at least five G.O.P. members to join them to reach a majority and force a vote, but no Republican is expected to even consider signing unless the debt limit situation becomes especially dire.

But even if the effort falls short, Democratic officials say the discharge petition keeps pressure on Republican leaders to strike a deal or face a potential revolt among their more politically vulnerable members who could pay a price with voters if they are seen as helping to push the country into default. Democrats also see the petition as a way to demonstrate that their party is doing all it can to prevent an economic debacle.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday dismissed the tactic as a political game that would go nowhere, noting that conservatives in the Senate would try to block it.

So is that even sensible? Is that even being productive? Is that even responsible? Mr. McCarthy said at a news conference with congressional Republicans. It seems to be that would be playing into a Biden default. I think America is tired of those political games.

Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma and a leading legislative tactician as chairman of the Rules Committee, said Tuesday that he doubted Republicans would cross over and sign on.

I dont think we are in any trouble, Mr. Cole said in an interview. I dont think anybody wants to be one of about a half a dozen that hands victory over to Biden.

The Democratic maneuver is considered a last resort, and such efforts have rarely worked in the past given the obstacles put in the way. Even if the backers of the petition were to obtain the required signatures, House rules stipulate that the legislation could be voted on only on specific days.

Aware of the constraints, Democrats quietly took steps earlier this year to make sure they had ample time to execute their plan, introducing an obscure bill that could be used as a vehicle for an eventual debt limit increase so it could be referred to committees in time to run out the 30-day clock that House rules require before a measure can be discharged. This month, they filed a special emergency proposal that cleared the way for them to begin collecting signatures this week.

Democrats see Republicans in swing districts carried by Mr. Biden as those most likely to be swayed in the event of a default since they could be most at political risk.

But Mr. Cole said that House Republicans from those districts had been the most reliable backers of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who would oppose a discharge petition since it would essentially take control of the floor out of his hands.

I dont think they are likely to crack, he said.

In his letter, Mr. Jeffries noted that former President Donald J. Trump had encouraged Republicans to allow the nation to default if Republicans cannot extract deep spending cuts from Democrats, a position that could encourage Republicans to hold out in the talks.

In the next few weeks, at the reckless urging of former President Trump, he wrote, we confront the possibility that right-wing extremists will intentionally plunge our country into a default crisis.

Catie Edmondson contributed reporting.

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House Democrats Move Forward With Petition to Force Debt Limit Vote - The New York Times

As votes were tabulated Tuesday to determine the two Republican candidates for Westmoreland County commissioner in November, Democrats sat quietly on the sidelines, setting their sights on trying to regain majority control of county government this year.

The Democrats, Ted Kopas, who served more than a decade as a commissioner before he was ousted in 2019, and political newcomer Sydney Hovis were unopposed for Democratic nominations.

They will face incumbent Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew in the fall.

The top three vote-getters will serve as county commissioners in 2024.

Im very pleased with the results last night. It sent a clear message from 24,000 Republicans who (did not vote for Kertes or Chew) think that county government can be better and can expect their leaders to be more accessible and honest, Kopas said.

Kopas received more than 24,600 votes, a number that exceeded every commissioner candidate on Tuesday ballots. Fellow Democrat Hovis, 28, of Scottdale, who is making her first bid for a county office, received just more than 14,200 votes.

Kertes and Chew, both first-term incumbents, finished as the top two vote-getters in the Republican primary that featured five candidates seeking two party nominations. Kertes led the GOP ticket with more than 17,900 votes. Chew garnered more than 11,400 votes, about 1,500 more than retired United Parcel Service security division manager John Ventre, who finished third behind the incumbents.

Retired Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County computer systems manager Paul Kosko finished fourth with about 7,800 votes, and former county Chief Deputy Sheriff Patricia Fritz finished last with fewer than 6,000 votes.

Kertes and Chew were endorsed by the county Republican committee. Meanwhile, GOP Chairman Bill Bretz filed unsuccessful lawsuits seeking to have Ventre and Kosko removed from the ballot.

The results reflect Republican vulnerability this fall, Kopas said.

I think voters from both parties think that Westmoreland County can be and should be better, Kopas said. Certainly the numbers speak for themselves.

Kopas comes into the fall race with a campaign war chest of more than $70,000 raised throughout the spring election season. Hovis raised just $1,500 and as of early May had just $500 in the bank, according to finance reports.

Hovis did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Democratic Committee Chairwoman Michelle McFall predicted Hovis story will resonate with votersl.

Sydney is coming in as a political outsider. Shes got an amazing story, shes a young mother of three children with a working background and a great message thats going to elevate her, McFall said. She is a unique candidate and she has a real shot.

Kertes and Chew ran separate but compatible campaigns this spring. At this point, Kopas said he does not envision running a joint campaign with Hovis.

Meanwhile, Bretz said he is not overly concerned that Ventres strong showing in the primary reflected a political weakness for the incumbents. He suggested ballot position and media attention on the legal challenges elevated (Ventres and Koskos) candidacies.

Its curious to me to see what will be revealed on the Democratic side. To me we have to go out and get folks engaged in the fall. We have to make sure we circle the wagon going into the fall because the stakes are too high, Bretz said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Democrats set sights on Westmoreland commissioner race - TribLIVE