Fought over for decades, the “county line” — sometimes called the party line — could be a thing of the past in New Jersey politics.
Two counties, Burlington and Middlesex, have formally agreed to settle a lawsuit first brought by the New Jersey Working Families Party in 2020, seeking to abolish New Jersey’s long-standing ballot design that favors candidates endorsed by county political leadership in primary elections.
NJ Spotlight News spoke with Antoinette Miles, state director of New Jersey Working Families Party, about the implications both legally and politically.
“It’s a recognition that the line… is on its way out the door,” she said. “It’s the end of the county line as we know it, and moving towards a fair ballot statewide.”
The ruling earlier this year by Judge Zahid Quraishi that abolished the county line for Democrats in the June primary had no impact on Republicans. This week’s settlement announcement and others possibly to come will change that and the layout of ballots will take place for both parties.
“We’re pushing for a robust democracy nationally, and we need to carry those principles to our home state in New Jersey as well,” said Yael Bromberg, principal of Bromberg Law and attorney for plaintiffs in the case. “And of course that applies to both parties. This is about the will of the voters. The constitution starts out with we the people, and this is about empowering the voters and ensuring that they have fair voting rights.
“This is a new day for democracy in New Jersey,” she said. “It’s a new era of politics in New Jersey, and our plaintiffs are prepared to continue litigating if necessary.”
Bromberg represented the plaintiffs in each of the court cases and said there is strong pushback from county clerks from both parties across the state, filing to have the cases dismissed. She said Democratic county organizations also fought to keep the line.
Now, settlements with two counties as well as an announced settlement with Middlesex County Democrats mark significant victories, Bromberg said. Rutgers University professor Julia Sass Rubin predicted more challenges before courts and more settlements likely.
“[Fighting these challenges] doesn’t seem like it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars, and I suspect that most taxpayers would not want their taxpayer dollars spent that way,” Rubin said. “But I suspect that if more county clerks choose to settle, it will impact Republicans similarly."
Rubin noted there are still plenty of other benefits to county organizations’ backing: "Boots on the ground to get people to vote; money they can pour in; you’re still looking at a 12-17 point advantage just from having the county line," she explained.
Looking ahead to 2025, only two of seven declared gubernatorial candidates so far have responded regarding their positions on eliminating the county line.
Democratic Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop stated: “It’s great to see our state moving in the direction of being more accountable to people than political bosses. The fight is far from over; next step is encouraging primaries next year to move power away from political bosses who monetized this system for personal gain toward candidates answering only to voters.”
Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick offered no comment.
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