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jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
South Jersey Progressive Dems
@jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
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Issues organizing for progress in South Jersey. None of us makes money doing this.
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jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Our press release from yesterday, and the article in the Inquirer quoting LD6 State Senator and County Party Chair James Beach confirming they will attempt to refuse us the right that voters have bestowed upon us to recruit the remaining seats in Cherry Hill.

share.inquirer.com/B4rYSO 🎁
On June 10, Cherry Hill Democratic voters delivered a decisive shock to the machine-dominated Camden County Democratic Committee (CCDC), electing a slate of South Jersey Progressive Democrats (SJPD) candidates and voting out the slate of CCDC candidates. In preliminary results, the SJPD slate defeated the CCDC slate in a landslide, 5,440 to 3,257. In the days since this Primary Election win, confidential sources have shared with reporters the troubling news that CCDC apparently intends to sue to overturn the election results and prevent the winners from filling the remaining vacancies on the municipal committee. It’s unclear what basis CCDC believes it has for any legal challenge to the election results, since both the bylaws of the county party as well as state statute make it plain that vacancies on the municipal committee are to be filled by elected municipal committee members. Those elected committee members are David Stahl, Susan Druckenbrōd, and Rena Margulis, whom Cherry Hill Democratic voters overwhelmingly entrusted with the job of appointing members to the municipal committee. The trio has already put out a public call for community engagement in filling the vacancies, which has been enthusiastically received. “Voters made a clear decision on June 10th in support of our candidates. In this particular political moment, living in the age of Trump, it is deeply concerning that Democrats would try to overturn an election. Over our many years of organizing, we (SJPD) have been bested by the Norcross machine and we have never tried to invalidate an election. When we lost, we used it as an opportunity to reflect, to learn, and to do better in the future. We (SJPD) urge the Camden County Democrats to respect election results. The voters have spoken. They have elected our candidates. We expect the Democratic Party to respect the vote in New Jersey, and not replicate the GOP’s nihilistic voter denialism,” said Kate Delany, President of SJPD. “We ran to get a seat at the table, and the CCDC fought to have voters choose the whole table. We are now presented with the opportunity to be a real model to the state for what Dem party committee is about - building community, growing the party, and electing a government that works for the people. Our neighbors have responded extremely well to that message and they are eager to get to work with us, and we look forward to building up our party and bringing in new ideas to the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee with a diverse array of Representation from all around town,” said Dave Stahl of South Jersey Progressive Democrats and newly elected County Committee member. "Presently we are in the recruitment phase of filling 71 seats for municipal committee in town, and are reaching out to broad swaths of the Cherry Hill community. The interest level is high. We have been meeting and talking with registered Democrats in town and people are actively engaging with us. We are excited to bring awareness to this party office that for way too long has been hidden away with only a few in the know actually aware of its existence, its purpose and who the actual committee members are. Our goal is to have representation in all of the 48 voting districts in Cherry Hill, and we are on our way to reaching that goal. We are looking forward to the reorganization meeting and to swearing in the new team,” said Susan Druckenbrōd of South Jersey Progressive Democrats and newly elected County Committee member. “With a potential lawsuit, the machine will be saying to the Democratic voters of Cherry Hill: ‘Heads we win, tails we go to court, employing our considerable financial muscle to overturn your decision to throw us out.’ The South Jersey Progressive Democrats will respect the decision of the voters to end machine control of the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee. If sued, we will vigorously defend our rights to bring the change to the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee that Cherry Hill Demo…
June 18, 2025 at 1:36 PM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Our press release from our resounding upset victory in Cherry Hill
Last night, South Jersey Progressive Democrats scored a shocking upset victory. Though results in state races for Governor and State Assembly were not what we hoped for, we had a landslide victory in Cherry Hill that resulted in South Jersey Progressive Democrats taking over all 74 seats in the municipal party. In our race for the office of county committee in Cherry Hill, we bested the Norcross machine, capturing 5,045 votes to their 3,040. All 74 machine backed incumbents are now replaced by David Stahl, Susan Druckenbrod, and Rena Margulis of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. “Last night’s win in Cherry Hill was a stunning achievement. In an election in which South Jersey Democratic voters generally did not vote for change, voters in Cherry Hill selected our slate for party office, finally giving progressives control of the Cherry Hill Democratic organization. I think one takeaway from last night’s victory is the power of persistence. We’ve run in the past, even when all odds were stacked against us, in order to give voters the opportunity to vote against the Norcross machine and for progressive change. Cherry Hill voters finally took us up on that offer. We now control the party in one of Camden County’s largest municipalities and a Democratic stronghold and continue to control the party in Merchantville. We, South Jersey Progressive Democrats, are at last a sizeable force within the Camden County Democratic Committee and we look forward to using our numbers to effect real change,” said Kate Delany of South Jersey Progressive Democrats “A huge thank you to Cherry Hill voters for electing our team. We have been running since 2017 for this obscure party office, educating ourselves and the voters along the way and last night our work paid off in this amazing win. We will continue to press the Camden County Democrats to live into a fairer, more just democracy; seeking out representatives in each and every district in Cherry Hill talking about issues that are before us and elevating quality candidates who will honestly represent and work for our entire community. I’m excited to get to work!” said Susan Druckenbrōd of South Jersey Progressive Democrats “Truly feeling humbled and full of gratitude toward our friends and neighbors in Cherry Hill. I am excited about what the official Cherry Hill Dem party will begin to do, now that we have control over the 74 committee seats. We will show the community over the next two years what it means to be an open, inclusive party, and we will define what 'democratic values' really means. We look forward to winning over the remaining 37% for our next election,” said David Stahl of South Jersey Progressive Democrats “We’re very proud of the organizing work done by Susan, Dave, and Rena in Cherry Hill and we will welcome the new Cherry Hill Democratic Committee members with open arms. Our Merchantville Committee members are looking forward to working with them to make the Camden County Dems more inclusive and more attuned to progressive and democratic principles such as good governance, fair processes, and equity,” said Joe Bouvier of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. “This victory shows that Cherry Hill Democratic voters have had enough of machine control. SJPD activists have worked for years toward a fairer primary ballot. In Camden County, we will continue to work for an end to at-large county committee elections and a truly fair ballot,” said Rena Margulis of South Jersey Progressive Democrats South Jersey Progressive Democrats is a grassroots organization working to restore democracy to South Jersey. We are fighting for a just and transparent government that works for all people. For more information about getting involved in the organizing work of South Jersey Progressive Democrats, email info@southjerseyprogressivedemocrats.org and follow SJPD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
June 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
New Jersey! Did you know we have early voting? This year is an extremely exciting election. After the fall of the infamous "county line" we have good candidates all over the state challenging ingrained incumbents - this year, the voters decide who will run in November!
Early voting in Camden county Early voting is available June 3rd-8th gpt this year's primary election. You can vote early at the locations below: Gloucester Township: Elections & Archive Center, 100 University Court, Blackwood Camden City: Rowan University, 129 N Broadway, Camden Collingswood: Collingswood Senior Center, 30 W Collings Ave Cherry Hill: Cherry Hill community center, 820 Mercer St Runnemede: harry Williams community center, 2 Broadway, R Runnemede Winslow: Bud Duble Community Center, 33 Cooper Folly Rd, Atco Voorhees: Lions Lake Community Center, 101 Dutchtown Rd, Voorhees Early voting hours are Tuesday- Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday 10am-6pm
May 29, 2025 at 11:29 AM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Knocking doors in #CherryHill today for our committee team, @hollowayryan2025.bsky.social and @stevenfulop.bsky.social! Great conversations! People are ready for change.
Joe Bouvier and Susan Druckenbrod canvassing with Fulop, Holloway and Ryan lit, and Cherry Hill dem committee lit
May 26, 2025 at 2:04 AM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Yesterday, the Camden County Dems launched vicious attacks on us and our allies, more of the dirty campaigning they regularly engage in, especially against women. We are calling out the sexism of the Norcross machine. Please see our press release below.
May 14, 2025 at 12:51 AM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
An update on our legal challenge against the Camden County Clerk’s office is below. We achieved a partial victory with ovals next to all county committee candidates in Collingswood.
April 9, 2025 at 9:58 PM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to celebrate a fierce, passionate, and righteous organizer here in South Jersey - please join us in wishing a very happy birthday to @k8delany.bsky.social
March 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Statement from SJPD President @k8delany.bsky.social on the Camden County Democratic Committee’s Endorsement Convention being held tonight.
Tonight, the Camden County Democrats will be holding their "convention" without much semblance of democracy and with virtually no engagement with Democrats of this county. They will likely be "voting" to support Steve Sweeney for Governor and to endorse all the current electeds. They will do this despite the fact that there are six Democrats running for Governor in this year’s June 10th Primary and there are also candidates running for State Assembly in Legislative Districts 4, 5 and 6 which all include Camden County municipalities. This is not just disappointing or irritating. The way the Camden County Dems do business has real adverse impacts on cost of living, quality of leadership, and the policies/priorities that get advanced or ignored in our county. Here’s how: Entrenched, unaccountable incumbents. These meaningless “conventions” usually do not include any questions, any discussion, or statements from the candidates before the “vote.” Incumbents are not evaluated based on their legislative track record and that means we are stuck with lackluster Dems. Take LD6 Assemblyman Lou Greenwald for example. Greenwald sponsored a bill (WIPA) that allows municipalities to sell public water systems without going out to referendum (A3628). He sponsored legislation that would use tax dollars to subsidize fossil fuels (A1462). He sponsored a bill that allows more dark money in our elections (A4372). And just recently he sponsored legislation to increase petition requirements to make it harder for candidates to get on the ballot (A5117). If incumbents are not answerable to the public, they will not keep the public’s best interests in mind. Brain drain. Not only do these fake conventions continue to prop up ossified incumbents, challenger candidates are not allowed to participate. When Dr. Patricia Campos Medina tried to attend last year, she was literally blocked at the door because the party had already decided to rubber stamp their endorsement of Tammy Murphy for US Senate. Excluding challenger candidates–literally banning entry to the room–means also excluding new ideas. Any individual who is throwing their hat in the ring should be heard. There’s no downside to listening to new ideas. The corruption tax. Because there are no questions ever asked of incumbents before rubber stamping their endorsement, there’s also no scrutiny of their campaign funding. The incumbents that the Camden County Dems support are largely bankrolled by pay-to-play firms. Pay-to-play political culture, in which professional firms make hefty donations to politicians who then reward them with government contracts, can result in overpaying for services and increased taxes for us all. In addition to pay-to-play campaign funds, incumbents and the party itself take money from companies (like 6 time toxic metal fire producer EMR) who are bad corporate actors in our communities. Perhaps at a legit convention, candidates would be made to explain why they are taking money from companies that are poisoning their constituents. After their sham convention, the Camden County Dems are expected to move vast sums of money over to Sweeney for Governor and the various incumbents’ campaigns. At any given time, the Camden County Dems have a few hundred thousand dollars in their coffers. Abolishing the line was a huge step towards fair elections in New Jersey. A next step is to ensure real conventions. As a Democrat in Camden County and head of South Jersey Progressive Democrats, I am once again calling on the Camden County Democrats to be democratic and do better and be better!
March 18, 2025 at 10:04 PM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
Our statement on the dismissal of charges against George Norcross is below
Statement from SJPD, related to the dismissal of corruption charges against power broke and party boss, George Norcross and his associates. “Today’s news is certainly disappointing to everyone in New Jersey who is envisioning a more just and ethical future for our state. In South Jersey, George Norcross’s name remains shorthand for political corruption. Judge Warshaw’s comment does not speak to the undemocratic machinations so many of us have seen up close– the backroom deals, the cronyism, the Norcross machine’s penchant for running the public government like a private club, all to maximize their own self-dealing. Though the news is disappointing and we hoped for a different outcome, South Jersey Progressive Democrats have successfully organized for improved democracy for years, ousting the phantom candidates, advocating for a fair ballot, and educating voters about dark money in our elections and pay to play operations in our communities. The organizing work continues to get us the equitable, thriving South Jersey we deserve, ” said Kate Delany of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. “Since 1989, George Norcross has been installing his friends and loyalists in positions of power throughout South Jersey. For decades, he abused the power of the now-named likely unconstitutional county line to control the actions of our elected officials. Now, the court laughably says that these threats are between private parties. Private parties do not have the luxury of leveraging the power of elected officials to benefit their own interests; these are not negotiations, these are extortions,” said David Stahl of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. "...The judge’s dismissal, at least for now, effectively nullifies the findings of the grand jury, which felt there was sufficient evidence for the charges to go to trial against all of the defendants. We at South Jersey Progressive Democrats would have preferred to see a jury render a verdict after considering all the evidence in the case. We hope Attorney General Platkin’s appeal is successful so a real trial can occur. As we see too often nowadays, there is a separate system of justice for the wealthy and politically-connected, one that fails to hold powerful people to account. But we will continue the fight against corruption, political threats, and cronyism, because we have to. Our democracy depends on it. All across the country, people are alarmed by the sight of our democracy sliding toward becoming a nation controlled by wealthy individuals who are in it for themselves. Once it happens, it is hard to recapture our freedoms. People in South Jersey, especially in Camden, see it too, but here it is corrupt George Norcross and his minions in the Democratic Party who control the levers of power and disregard the needs of most citizens. We won’t give up, we will keep putting up anti-corruption candidates with integrity and honor, who care about public service rather than appeasing party bosses and personally benefiting financially from their official duties. Join us if you can,” said Joe Bouvier “The grand jury did its due diligence and obviously felt the case warranted being brought to court and before a jury. In an age when we are witnessing our federal judicial system being weakened and attacked at every level, today’s decision by Judge (and jury) Warshaw is deeply troubling and reinforces commonly held beliefs that the wealthy and well-connected operate in a legal system much different and much more forgiving than the common citizen. My faith in New Jersey’s judiciary is shaken today,” said Susan Druckenbrod
February 27, 2025 at 12:17 AM
jerseydemocrats.bsky.social
A win for free speech n all anti-machine Dems up n down the state! 👏 We are Democrats. The Norcross machine does not own that word.

archive.is/2024.12.16-1...
And perhaps the most important move came early in the hearing when Kate Delaney [sic], president of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats, raised concerns over the bill's most contentious provision, which would prevent candidates from using the names of major parties in their slogans without first obtaining the consent of the official party organizations in their county.
December 18, 2024 at 5:52 AM