COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Democratic Committee held a meet-the-candidates night, via Zoom, Sept. 18, as a way of including U.S. Representatives Rebecca Michelle “Mikie” Sherill (D-NJ11) and Andy Kim (D-NJ3), who were still in Washington, D.C.
Attending were Patricia O’Connor, the Democrats’ only candidate for the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners, Beverly McCall, running for Cape Mayh County Surrogate, and NJ Assembly candidates, Eddie Bonner and Damita White-Morris.
White-Morris, from Bridgeton, holds a master’s degree in Administration of Justice and has worked extensively with youth in public schools. She currently works as an early childhood director in Bridgeton. She said she believes in advancing education and physical and mental health in the community.
Eddie Bonner is a lifelong resident of Cumberland County. Born in Bridgeton, Bonner said he as a police officer in his hometown police department for 15 years. Having worked various jobs, Bonner now manages security for three schools in Cumberland County. Bonner said he would advocate for teacher retention and would help solve the homelessness problem.
O’Connor said she believes in taking a common sense approach to government, advocating transparency and accountability in government. She said the Republican party has had an exclusive hold on the County Commissioners for 23 years, which she said weakens democracy.
“And when democracy weakens, corruption grows,” she said.
O’Connor, who has been attending numerous functions around the county had a lot to say in her introduction, saying the county spends millions of dollars but turns a blind eye to the county homelessness problem, even when it includes veterans.
“Cape May County has 1% of the population of New Jersey and 2% of its homeless,” she said.
She also mentioned the lack of maternity care at the county’s only hospital and the county’s move to privatize the Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which will affect 126 union jobs. O’Connor said such a move would result in decreased care and a higher death rate. O’Connor worked as a senior loan officer for several banks and was most recently a loan officer in Cape May County.
McCall, a resident of Ocean City, has been an attorney for almost 40 years, performing a lot of the functions that are in the surrogate domain, including estates, adoptions and probating wills. She said her opponent’s professional background was in law enforcement.
Asked what is important in this county, O’Connor said it is important for the elected officials to be responsive to constituents. She said she has been meeting with a lot of nonprofits, and believes the elected officials need to understand the grant structure.
“There is not much coming down to Cape May County,” she said.
Asked about the surrogate duties, McCall said the surrogate, also called the judge surrogate, has to be someone who will make sure the paperwork is properly prepared for adoptions, probate, wills, and so on. The surrogate might have to appoint an executor or administrator for an estate, or act on guardianship of a child, she said.
Asked about opinions on the extension of Route 55 into Cape May County, White-Morris said it would be of great economic interest for Cape May Couty, helping to bring economic development to the area.
Asked about the staffing level at the Crest Haven nursing home, O’Connor said lower levels of staffing could be corrected if the facility would create an adequate billing and collections system. She said she was told there were only two people working in the administrative office at Crest Haven and the office was not collecting the money that should be coming in. She said the county needs to listen to the people who have a better understanding of how the facility should be run – the workers and residents.
Bonner said government needs to take steps legislatively to make New Jersey a safer place and to keep the teachers it has, saying, “You have to educate people before they can do anything. That is the starting point.”
Asked how she would better serve senior citizens as surrogate, McCall said the county needed to create an e-filing system for the surrogate’s office so people don’t have to leave their homes to get things done. She said she would also spend more time going outside the office, visiting churches, community centers, helping people to prepare wills and other documents.
“A lot of people don’t know lawyers,” McCall said.
McCall again said her opponent is not a lawyer, so had no experience in legal matters. McCall said she has “done thousands of adoptions” including adult adoptions.
“There is truly no happier day,” she said, referring to the day the adoption is finalized.
O’Connor said something has to be done to address the lack of affordable housing in the county.
“We could do a lot more. I would put together a commission of towns and address affordable housing on countywide basis,” she said. “There has to be a public-private partnership to address zoning, address roads, the issues in Whitesboro…”
O’Connor said she had been speaking to a company that creates manufactured housing, which might be a means of addressing affordable housing.
Bonner and White-Morris each said they would favor allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they were to turn 18 before the General Election.
Bonner responded to a question about funding for shore protection, saying the funding should remain at current levels.
Asked why they were entering politics, White-Morris spoke about her parents, who in their 80s were turned down for assistance because they earned 11 cents too much. She said as the mother of five daughters she has learned how important it is to provide for them and pave the way for them as others have for her generation.
O’Connor said she always knew politics was in her blood and sincerely feels she can make a difference. She said her daughter asked her why people always tell her their life’s story and she replied, “It’s because I listen and I care.”
“We can do a lot better,” she said.
McCall said she was encouraged by her late husband Frank McCall, who served in elected office in Wildwood Crest and later in Ocean City. She added that enough people had been writing in her name on ballots that she decided to run for office and help people.
White-Morris said she is eager to build relationships and work with people, saying, “Together is better.”
Bonner described himself has a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point talker who will not be afraid to speak up for constituents. Bonner quoted Abraham Lincoln, saying, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet – get out and vote.”
Guest speakers
The guest speakers were Congresswoman Mikie (My-key) Sherrill and Congressman Andy Kim. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Navy helicopter pilot. She left the Navy to study law at Georgetown University and was in private practice before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.
“I have seen attacks on some of the most vulnerable people in New Jersey,” Sherrill said, adding that this is why she was excited to see “quality Democrats up and down the ballot” and reminded participants that the mail-in ballot deadline was coming up.
“It’s always been my pleasure to work for the people of New Jersey,” she said.
Kim said was a product of public education in New Jersey and became a Rhodes scholar. He is the son of immigrant parents from the Republic of Korea; his father had childhood polio and his mother was the daughter of a poor farmer. In the United States, his father went on to become a scientist and mother a nurse. Kim is a national security expert who advised military generals. He said he had worked in public service as a diplomat before he “decided to step it up a rung” and enter politics.
“I believe the opposite of democracy is apathy, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for people who put their name out there as a candidate for office,” Kim said. “Mikie and I are here trying to fight the fight in D.C., and we need strong partners back in New Jersey.”
