I celebrated the first day of fall by doing what thousands of other Mercer County residents did – I picked apples at Terhune Orchards.
As my grandkids and I were discussing the many types of apples we could pick at the farm in Lawrence Township, our happy banter was interrupted by a not-so-happy discussion in the Macoun Apple section about the Republican candidate for U. S. Senate versus the Democratic candidate.
The raised voices, however, inspired an epiphany. I suddenly realized which political party would be the winner in the November election in Princeton.
The small d party – standing for democracy – would win by a landslide. It is common knowledge that the big Ds dominate in Princeton – where 12 percent of registered voters are Republicans, 52 percent are Democrats. But Princeton is like an apple orchard. Most of the apples may be Democratic, but the apples come in an inspiring number of delicious varieties.
One important reason for the strength of democracy in Princeton is the leadership of the big D Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee chair – Scotia MacRae. Full disclosure – I am registered as a big D Democrat, but one who celebrates and appreciates Princeton’s democracy tradition as an antidote to all the worms infiltrating our political system today.
Scotia, a former newspaper editor and Congressional aide (Rush Holt), retired in 2014 from her demanding and stressful salaried jobs to assume the demanding and stressful non-salaried jobs for the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee – first as a vice-chair and then as chair. The Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC) is the official Democratic Party organization representing the 22 voting districts within the municipality of Princeton. It is made up of two elected delegates from each of the voting districts.
The mission of the Democratic Municipal Committee, under Title 19 of the New Jersey Revised Code, is to: support the ideals of the Democratic Party and its candidates, further good government, encourage grass-roots participation in the Democratic Party, recruit Democratic candidates, have an open process for recommending ballot placement and slogan designation for Democratic candidates in Primary elections, and engage in activities that culminate in getting Democrats out to vote on Election Day to elect Democratic candidates.
When asked why she accepted the unrelenting (especially at this time of the year) volunteer job, Scotia said that her commitment to big D progressive principles drove her decision. When examining how she has done her job over the past several months, she clearly seems to be driven by small d principles of furthering good government and encouraging every citizen to be involved in the election process as a way to improve the quality of one’s everyday life.
“Media coverage of national elections is overwhelming,” she said. “But it is the local elections that actually have the most impact on one’s live – things like garbage collection, parking, zoning, property taxes, police, fire, sewer, water, social services. It is awful that only a third of the Democratic voters vote in non-presidential year elections. Voting matters…. It is one of those clichés that is absolutely true.”
In addition to working to promote voting, Scotia has worked to have the candidate selection process transparent, fair, accessible and welcoming to all potential candidates no matter what his or her background. And furthermore she rejects negative advertising.
“No one has to be negative or launch personal attacks,” she said.
The Democrats this spring had seven candidates whose only thing in common with one another was that they called themselves Democrats. They represented different races, religions, ages, educational levels of achievement, and socio-economic backgrounds. Most shocking to me was the fact that there was even a Princeton newbie among the group – someone who was unable to begin her campaign speeches with, “I have lived in Princeton forever and ever.”
Before she declared her candidacy, Myrtha Jasmin had been in Princeton for less than a year. But she decided to “shake things up,” in her words, with her humor and fearlessly direct personality.
Myrtha dropped out of the primary race when she failed to win the support of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PDCO) for her candidacy. But she complimented Scotia on her willingness to share political insights and all sorts of advice on the ABCs of running for office in Princeton – including the difference between the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee and the PCDO.
Before Princeton consolidation in 2013, Princeton had a Princeton Township Democratic Municipal Committee and a Princeton Borough Democratic Municipal Committee. The two municipal committees each had different procedures for selecting candidates and determining ballot placement.
In 2013, the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee was formed, and Peter Wolanin was the first chair of the consolidated committee, until Scotia took over in 2016.
The municipal committee is the statutory organization, but the PCDO is the community membership organization that advises and supports the Municipal Committee.
PCDO, founded in 1965, is a membership organization open to all registered Democrats. It represents and advances the interests of the Democratic Party in Princeton and provides a forum for discussion of local questions relating to local, state, and national government. The PCDO has regular monthly meetings featuring a variety of speakers on local and national issues.
“The goals of the two organizations do overlap, yet each organization is distinct and varies greatly in scope,” said Scotia
Scotia urges residents to “turn your concerns into action! If you are interested in making a real change in your community, if you want your voice and the voices of your neighbors to be heard, if you are tired of complaining and want to actually DO something, and if you believe that our democracy is worth preserving—you owe it to yourself, your community, and your country … (to get involved) and to make a contribution that will have an impact on your life and the lives of everyone around you….Grassroots representation lies at the heart of our democracy.”
Remaining true to my belief in small d democratic values, I must give a shout out to Dudley Sipprelle – Scotia’s counterpart in the Republican Party in Princeton – for serving democracy by preserving the two-party system in the overwhelmingly Democratic Princeton.
When he came to town several years ago, the Princeton Republican Committee had been designated inactive, since it no longer ran candidates or held meetings. He revived the Princeton Borough Republican Municipal Committee into a vibrant political organization. And In the newly consolidated Princeton, Dudley went on to become chairman of a newly consolidated Princeton Republican Committee, which this year has a “viable” candidate for one of the two open Princeton Council seats. The Republican candidate seems to share with her two Democratic candidates a passion for high quality local governance.
The apples running for office may be different, but all are good for the health of democracy.
