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Democrat Wins Write-in Vote as Candidate for County Commission

Democrat Wins Write-in Vote as Candidate for County Commission

By Vince Conti

Eric John Morey
Eric John Morey

Democrat Eric John Morey is campaigning to join his cousin, Republican Will Morey, on the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners.

Eric Morey won his party’s nomination to run for the board through a write-in vote in the June 10 primary and will face Republican incumbents Robert “Bobby” Barr and Andrew Bulakowski in the election for two seats on the board in November.

Barr and Bulakowski, who is vice director of the board, were unopposed for reelection in the GOP primary June 10. They were endorsed by the county Republican organization.

The Moreys are members of the noted Morey family of Cape May County, whose forebears founded Morey’s Piers in 1969. Will Morey has been a county commissioner since 2012.

No Democrats filed a petition to run for the Board of Commissioners in the fall election, but Eric Morey received 302 out of 467 write-in votes in the primary after he reached out to several of the county’s Democratic Party organizations and committees seeking support for a write-in campaign. The numbers are unofficial, with certification expected June 20.

To receive a political party’s nomination for county office, according to County Clerk Rita Rothberg, a candidate must be the top vote-getter, receive at least the number of votes required by a nominating petition, be a registered member of the party and reside in the county. The candidate must also accept the nomination by taking an oath within seven days of the final certification of the election.

Since no one else ran for a Democratic nomination, Morey was the top vote-getter, and his unofficial vote total easily exceeded the 250-signature requirement for a nominating petition.

On his campaign website, Morey, 43, of Wildwood Crest, says he has been looking for a way “to make a difference.” He says that he has been connected to several Democratic organizations and has been impressed by people who care about quality of life in the county.

He also mentions disappointment in the number of uncontested elections in Cape May County and says he wants to give voters a choice in November.

Morey identifies health care as a key concern and says the county should prepare for reduced funding from the federal government for social services and infrastructure. He also criticizes the current board for what he describes as its “discomfort with public questions about plans and decisions.”

His website lists several issues he believes need attention, while candidly stating he has no special expertise in many of them.

Democrats on the board have been few and far between in recent years. The last one elected was Jeff Van Drew, who later ran successfully for the House of Representatives, where he eventually switched his party affiliation to Republican.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.

Reporter

Vince Conti is a reporter for the Cape May County Herald.

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