On Feb. 5, the Democratic Party of Morris County gained a significant boost in size when 22,664 unaffiliated voters, formerly known as independents, declared themselves among the party’s ranks. Republicans also gained, obtaining 12,396 new registrants. Though the GOP continues to be the larger of the two parties in the county, could this be a sign of a shift in politics? Does it have implications for local governments?

Interpreting what the numbers mean and casting predictions based upon what happened at the primary is akin to reading tea leaves. How one looks at it depends upon one’s personal beliefs.

"We can see a momentum of change in Morris County as demographics change with people migrating west," said Lew Candura, chairman of the Morris County Democratic Committee, MCDC.

He believes the race between Senators Clinton and Obama served as the "catalyst" to get people to declare themselves as Democrats, but said that the primary elections were about more than the race at hand. Observing that "a political change has been brewing," Candura said that the number of MCDC members elected to posts has grown from about 300 to over 700 during the past three years.

Looking ahead, the MCDC is going to work to recruit voters newly registered with the party to become more involved in local politics, rather than being a Democrat only at election time.

Through canvassing and direct mail, the MCDC will let the new Democrats know they are "important" and "we’ll do whatever we can to keep them energized," said Candura.

Not all the newly registered Democrats will remain so, and some have already inquired about changing their status back to what it was prior to the primary. Undeterred, Candura noted that going to the effort of filling out a party declaration card is "burdensome" and many people will not bother unless they are on a "mission" to no longer be a Democrat. He estimates that those intent on changing back will only amount to about 10 percent or 2,000 of the new Democrats.

According to John Sette, chair of the Morris County Republican Committee, about 174 people called Morris County officials on primary Tuesday to switch back to unaffiliated status. He expects even more to change back after the June primary, when many will begin receiving party-connected literature.

"People don’t want to be bombarded," he said.

Calling the affiliation changes that occurred that day as "not something out of the ordinary," Sette does not foresee it as becoming significant. He noted that if one looks at the last six presidential elections, one would find that many people registered and then only voted when it was time to elect a new president.

Sette could not deny the draw that the Clinton/Obama race had on people. He said that members of his party became Democrats in order to vote for Sen. Obama, who Sette credited with creating "a lot of enthusiasm."

Sen. Obama’s campaign also persuaded those new to the election process to register as Democrats. Chris Sentmier, 17, will be voting for the first time this November. The Denville resident, a senior at Morris Knolls High School, is a junior organizer for Morris County for Obama.

Sentmier said he considers himself a moderate who could have become either a Democrat or a Republican. In fact, he is from a mixed household; his mother is a Democrat and his grandmother, a Republican.

He said, "It was really just about Obama, what he stands for, what his campaign stands for. It bodes well with people like me who want something to latch onto."

Explaining his reasons for favoring Sen. Obama, the teen said, "I think it’s just the fact he seems so different from other candidates. He has strong ideas that are so compelling to me. The way he has been running his campaign has been beneficial to the party."

Brian Romanowski, 17, of Whippany, is also a junior organizer for Morris County for Obama. He said there are 560 students at his school, Whippany Park High School, and during a mock election, 300 votes went to Sen. Obama. Noting that many of his classmates have Republican parents, Romanowski said the students find Sen. Obama to be very "inspirational." Adding, "When he speaks, you listen, he is not boring."

Excited about voting in November, Romanowski said, "I think it is one of the most important elections in our country’s history and one of the most exciting."

The Congressional Race

As previously noted, it is Candura’s hope that the newly registered Democrats do more than just vote, but also get involved in politics in some capacity. Already taking that initiative, by circulating petitions to get on the ballot, are three Morris County residents who are looking to challenge U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, 11th District, this November

One of them is Parsippany’s Tom Wyka. He said of his party’s increasing numbers, "I certainly think it's a wake-up call.  At a minimum the Democratic candidates are getting a lot of attention and as some letters to the editor confirm, as well as voter interviews, people want to take part in a new direction."

He continued, "As far as my own race, there were already anecdotal signs in '06 that people were fed up with the state of affairs.  When I told people that ‘this is not your father's Republican Party anymore,’  I got many nods of agreement.  As popular as my opponent is promoted to be, there's quite an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and he's in no way exempt as he stands lockstep with an administration that's taken us down the wrong path in so many areas."

Rep. Frelinghuysen has not yet officially announced that he will seek his eighth term, but anticipates doing so sometime this month. Observing that he is not identified by partisanship and that his supporters include Democrats and Independents, the Congressman said that his district has 650,000 people and he represents all of them.

Pushing up the date of the presidential primary in New Jersey from June to February was "a good idea" said Rep. Frelinghuysen. Not only did it let the Garden State’s residents be counted, but also it encouraged the presidential candidates to include a stop in the state. As for the response of the voters, he said, "We ought to celebrate the fact that more people are participating and engaged in the electorate."

The Congressman visits about 90 schools each year, including the area’s colleges and universities, where he encourages young people to get involved. "I always put in the plug for people to participate, to register and vote. I like to quote the League of Women Voters and say, ‘government is not a spectator sport.’"

While pleased about the increased participation in the electoral process, Rep. Frelinghuysen noted an area where there is room for improvement - watching the candidates’ debates. In talking with students, he was dismayed to learn that more watched the Super Bowl. If it were up to him, such viewing would have been a class requirement, plus a report.

Local politics

As tough as it might be for Montville Township’s Democrats, the party’s situation in Boonton is much grimmer. The town’s mayor and eight-member Board of Aldermen are all Republicans and it has been years since there has been a Democratic candidate on the ballot. The last Democrat to hold office in Boonton was Mayor Morgan MacKallor, who served from 1990-1991. Before that, Tom Cox was an Alderman from 1978-1979. For the primary elections, 416 of Boonton’s unaffiliated voters registered as Democrats and 126 became Republicans.

Candura observed that Boonton is a town where there is "no strong Democratic foothold," unlike Parsippany and Dover. "It is hard to get that one person to act as a catalyst," he said.

Parsippany

In Parsippany, a Democratic mayor presides over an all-Republican town council. For the primary, 2,393 unaffiliated voters became Democrats and 834 became Republicans.

The town’s Democratic Committee chair, Michael Soriano, said, "In Parsippany, Democrats have always been outnumbered by Republicans."

This is a position that Soriano believes the Republicans "take for granted." He observed, "The Republicans always like to say they are running the town."

However, Soriano is quick to point out that if one adds together the numbers of registered Republicans and Democrats, the total is less than the number of unaffiliated voters in Parsippany. "I don’t know what that means- apathy? Independent spirit?," questioned Soriano.

He believes the growing number of Democrats to be part of a "fundamental shift" that is taking place. "It started quietly in 2004" because of dissatisfaction with President George Bush’s policies, said Soriano, and got "louder in 2006," when Democrats took over the Senate and House of Representatives.

At the Parsippany meetings of the Democrats, there has been a consistently "good" turnout for the past nine months, with 25-30 people attending, and the numbers keep growing every month, according to Soriano.

"The key is that Democrats are talking about ideas that effect people, kitchen-table issues. It is what is bringing people to the table – health care, economy, responsible use of the military. These are issues the Republicans are not talking about, helping the middle class. They want to cut taxes for rich people, which are two percent of our population," said Soriano.

A relative newcomer to Parsippany politics, Soriano said that it is his impression that Democrats had a difficult time before 2005. Still, during that time, Democrat Mimi Letts won several terms as mayor, which Soriano credits to her "good fiscal policy, good ideas and that she could connect with people."

He added, "Now, [Mayor Michael] Luther is of the same vein. He has done a lot of good things to keep taxes low and raise revenues," said Soriano.

As an example, Soriano cited the recycling program. He said, despite rising prices to haul garbage, the taxpayers were not effected because revenue from recycling was used to offset the rate increase. Soriano called this a "smart idea, environmentally sound and fiscally smart" and said, "a Republican probably wouldn’t look at that – too caught up in what’s red, blue, and green."

However, the Democrats also need to look at new ideas, said Soriano, who then praised Luther for his ability to work with the Republicans.

The next mayoral election in Parsippany is in two years, and the Republicans are looking to regain that seat. Nicole Csantaveri Green, chair of the Parsippany Republican Municipal Committee, said her party has "worked to control taxes and maintain services for many years, even as Democrats controlling Trenton have cut aid to municipalities and imposed more unfunded mandates on municipalities."

When asked how party affiliation comes into play when deciding local policy, Green, said, "Fiscal conservatism and a reduction of bloated budgets provide guiding principles for our Republican council members."

Luther offered this perspective on being a Democratic mayor with an all-Republican council, quoting what he called the "age-old adage," he said, "there is no political way to fill a pothole."

The mayor said he hopes that any differences in administration of government deal more with taxpayer concerns than political concerns. As for the events surrounding the primary election, Luther said that he was "completely surprised" by the large number of people calling the township’s municipal building looking for information about voting in the primary, including changing their party affiliation. Luther said it will be "interesting" to see if as a result, people will want to be more involved in the process.

Montville

In Montville Township, where there are 1,028 new Democrats and 574 new Republicans, the party numbers are met with caution by both sides of the political divide.

This may be the first year since 1987 that there is not a Democrat on the ballot for township elections, according to Dan Grant, president of the Montville Township Democratic Club. "There are supporters," Grant said of Montville’s Democrats, "but they don’t want to be public supporters because of the nature of town politics. That’s a shame."

If the increase in registered Democrats has any impact, Grant thinks it would be this November, but he fears the recent gains will be for "naught" in Montville. Grant does not share in the view that a political shift is taking place, but rather that the primary’s impact on party affiliation is the result of interest in the Clinton/Obama race. During the primary, he spent time at the township’s various polling places and overheard people question if they could change their registration back.

Prior to Super Tuesday, the ratio in Montville Township was four to one Republican, according to Grant, who offered that perhaps the difference might now narrow a tiny bit. Just as Soriano noted was the case in Parsippany, Grant said that Montville’s unaffiliated voters outnumber both parties combined.

Grant observed that in places like Montville, there are "additional obstacles to overcome for a Democrat in a Republican town."

For a Democrat to win a local office, it requires much work to "persuade Independents and some Republicans to come over," he said. Once in office, it is not necessarily any easier. "You have to force yourself into the discussion," said Grant.

Recalling his own time on the Township Committee, Grant said the Republican members did not always pay attention to what he said in the "back room," so that he had to make sure he had his say during public meetings.

"I always liked to vote first so I could set the tone rather than have them arrive to me as a far gone conclusion."

Jean Bader, the lone Democrat among the five-member Montville Township Committee, said, "In our township you need three votes to pass anything and four votes to Bond, so, yes, there are limitations at this time."

Bader further noted, "I hear mostly about the rotation of mayor and deputy mayor and how everyone will get a chance. Since this town does not vote to elect a mayor, we choose from the five of us. I am the longest-sitting Committee person, starting my fifth year, and am completely overlooked. I still feel the residents should be able to elect their own mayor."

Like Grant, Bader is not particularly optimistic about the prospects for her party, believing that the large number of new Democrats is entirely due to the presidential elections. She said, "Most will change back."

She added, "Unfortunately Montville’s Democrats are not very active. The Democratic Club meets every third Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Senior House  and there has not been a lot of interest. The few of us that attend the meetings have vowed to meet even if only two show up." 

Montville Township Mayor Deb Nielson, a Republican who is up for re-election this year, commented, "I think it’s premature to say whether the recent Democratic party registrations will subside once the media spotlight is not on Clinton/Obama, and a Democratic presidential candidate has been selected. Regardless of the primary outcome, the Democratic Party’s race to the White House has infused excitement into the campaign. It’s not ‘politics as usual’ at the national level. The resultant higher voter turnout is good for all. What remains to be seen is how much will filter down to the local and county levels, both short term, in November, and in future years. I think it’s a reminder to Republicans – and all elected officials – not to rest on their laurels and become complacent. Ultimately, the winners will be the public. Party competition – even the hint of it – helps promote and maintain responsiveness in our elected officials."

Time will tell the full impact of the events on Feb. 5. For now, there is this thought from Parsippany’s Soriano. Although he is a Democrat, his sentiment is something even Republicans can agree with, when he said that no matter which side we are on, "It is good we’re getting active and educated."