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By Emmy Tiderington

Senator Robert Menendez on Thursday called for an open primary for president in New Jersey, in order to insulate the presidential race from any undue influence on New Jerseys other elections.

That influence, of course, would come from a ballot design uncommon in other states: the county line.

This ballot design feature, which usually allows county party officials to anoint their chosen candidates, suddenly has a major flaw.

The law allows for a candidate at the top of a ticket to align with candidates further down the ballot, which normally helps party-approved candidates. Whats different this year? Progressive candidates have emerged as frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination. If these candidates were able to align with down ballot candidates of their choosing, strong support for them here in Junes primary could threaten incumbent freeholders, congressional representatives, and even Menendezs fellow senator, Cory Booker.

That is why the party machine, with Menendez as its spokesperson, is calling for insulation. This time around, they just cannot afford to let people associate their preferred presidential candidates with progressives running against local incumbents.

The irony here is that the county line has long insulated New Jersey politicians from important elements of our electoral system. It insulates voters from having to learn what their representatives stand for. It insulates those representatives from having to explain and defend how they govern. It insulates them from debate. It insulates them from the people.

The county line insulates New Jersey from democracy.

So while some, such as Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Amy DeGise applaud Senator Menendez for calling for an open primary, we choose to call out his hypocrisy. There can be no line for me, but not for thee.

We should not allow the machine to have its lines and columns when they help their candidates, only to get rid of them when they do not. Menendez is right that the line has undue influence -- not just on this election, but on all elections.

If we want truly open primaries, the best choice, for Menendez, DeGise, and Democratic party officials all over the state, is to end the county line once and for all.

Dr. Emmy Tiderington is a committee member of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and a founding member of the Hudson County Progressive Alliance.

Tiderington says this op ed was also supported by more than 160 individuals, including many on county and local Democratic Committees, and the following groups:

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Progressive groups in N.J. dont want an open primary just for the presidential race | Opinion - NJ.com