To the Editor:
NJ Primary Day is June 2nd, and Hopewell Borough Democrats have an important choice to make. On the West side of town, there are four individuals running for 2 seats on Mercer County Democratic Committee (MCDC), and on the East side, there are 3 candidates for 2 seats. I am strongly supporting Katherine Elliot and Marian Labos in District 2 (west side), and Keith Hovey in District 1 (east side).
What is MCDC? It is a body of all of the elected democrats in Mercer County, including council members, mayors, commissioners, and all of those elected to serve as district MCDC representatives. Each voting district has 2 representatives. MCDC holds an annual meeting and makes choices about what candidates to endorse for local, state and federal office.
In addition to serving as a member of the County organization, MCDC representatives advocate locally for Democrats, and handle party issues here in Hopewell Borough. For example, if a candidate steps down before an election, this group determines who fills that vacancy on the ticket. The group also organizes local “meet the candidates” events for borough Democrats (something that has not happened in the past few years).
If the MCDC endorsed candidates (Mayor Kennedy and Councilman Fuller in District 2, and Councilwomen Hook & Weaver in District 1) win, then ALL 4 of our MCDC rep seats will be occupied by individuals who are already members by way of their currently elected office. If we elect them, we are not only diluting our already limited power at the county level, we would also be consolidating ALL of the political power within the borough to our currently elected council, rather than expanding it to include more voices and perspectives.
If you are a registered Democrat (or unaffiliated) in Hopewell Boro, I strongly encourage you to support Keith Hovey in District 1, or Katherine Elliot and Marian Labos in District 2, and help us expand, not consolidate, the political power in Hopewell Borough.
Heidi Wilenius
Hopewell Borough
