2025 Convention Endorsement Announcement to County Committee
A message from Chairwoman Amalia Duarte
Dear County Committee Members – Thank you for a huge 84% turnout in voting online for the endorsement of candidates in the June Primary!
We have overwhelmingly voted to endorse Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill for governor!
Rep. Mikie Sherrill has been a dedicated public servant nearly her entire life and has a proven track record of leadership as a congresswoman representing a large portion of Morris County, since her election in 2018. We have witnessed her work ethic, thoughtfulness and ability to get things done here in Morris County. I believe she will bring that same dedication to New Jersey as a governor to get things done across the entire state.
Early voting was a big hit! A total of 524 eligible delegates voted using an online, secret ballot, representing a 84% turnout. Rep. Mikie Sherrill received 385 votes, 77% of the total. Mayor Ras Baraka received 88 votes, 18%; Sean Spiller received 20 votes, or 4%, and Steve Sweeney received 8 votes, 1%. There were 23 abstentions. And, candidates Mayor Steve Fulop and Rep. Josh Gottheimer declined to participate in the convention.
I hope you appreciated the additional time to make a decision. And, for those who attended our convention, it was exciting to hear the announcement right after voting closed, just like the other county conventions, instead of through an email two days later.
Members endorsed the following candidates for state Assembly:
- LD-21 – Andrew Macurdy and Vinnie Kearney
- LD-24 – Eugene Grinberg
- LD-26 – Michael Mancuso and Walter Mielarczyk
The County Commissioner candidates endorsed were:
- Max Blum, the Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill
- Marie DeVenezia, a Boonton Town Councilwoman serving in her fourth term
- Jocelyn Mathiasen, Chatham Borough Council President in her second term
The county elected the following for terms on the State Democratic Committee:
- Caitlin “Kate” Barry
- Christine Clarke
- Baramdai “Alicia” Sharma
- Jonathan Sackett, a two-term Rockaway Councilman
- Henry Mielarczyk
- T.C. McCourt
I wish to thank Michael Soriano for his four years of dedicated service, as a State Committeeman, as the Mayor of Parsippany and helping grow the Democratic Party in Parsippany from 4,000 to 14,000 registered Democrats. We all appreciate his commitment to our shared values and building a foundation for continued success in Morris County!
Finally, during my remarks at the convention, I gave 5 “Calls-to-Action” to push back against the chaos coming out of D.C.:
- Create community! Organize meetups, rallies, coffees, workshops – anything that will bring together Democrats and others who are angry to offer support and connections.
- Collaborate! Join with grassroots groups – 11th for Change, Indivisible, Red, Wine & Blue, etc. There is power in numbers!
- Find candidates! It’s not too late to run for local office this year! And, seeing Dems on the ballot gives others hope especially in deep Red towns.
- Put pressure on elected officials! Go to meetings of your local councils and the county commissioners and challenge them. Ask about the federal cuts and how that will impact your community and Morris County.
- Finally, reach out to others! Go beyond your Democratic supporters and friends. Talk to moderate Republicans and Unaffiliated voters to find commonalities and build trust.
Let’s work together to build our Party and provide hope!
