Open for business

Newton - The bright blue neon lettering in the window read ‘open’. Inside the Sparta Diner, the kitchen and waitstaff matched order-for-order the appetites of more than 100 guests who had gathered a night near the end of January. Howard Burrell, who had painstakingly tried to organize a party that Sussex County residents could feel comfortable at, was eating up the moment as well. “We let people know we’re open for business,” said Burrell. “That the Democratic Party is here.” The Sussex County Democrats have spent much of this century trying to build a party from the ground up; not an easy task on turf that has been traditionally controlled by Republican politics. “I’m trying to build a party that will one day compete with the majority party,” said Burrell, a resident of the Glenwood section of Vernon who first hosted democratic gatherings of 15 or less just last year in Newton. “That will take time.” But Burrell knows those who met at the Sparta Diner and others like them who have been attending the party’s monthly meetings may not have the patience to see a grassroots organization grow. “You can do things in a flash, or you can do things right,” he said. “I’m trying to do things right.” The party recently issued a countywide call for candidates who would like to have a greater say in directing the future of local democrats by running for office. Burrell hopes the announcement will add an alternative option in local elections, but he isn’t sure what to expect. “Either way, we win,” said the former county freeholder. “If we get one (candidate) it’s more than we had.” Jerry Murphy, a lifelong Sparta resident and secretary of the Sussex County Democrats, won a seat on his township’s council a year ago. But, his successful candidacy drew little fanfare outside of political circles because of Sparta’s Faulkner Act, which mandates that local government be non-partisan. “Let’s face it, the Republicans have had a stranglehold on politics in this county,” said Murphy. “There’s always been that stigma, but it’s starting to disappear.” Murphy said more young voters are finding the Democratic Party appealing in Sussex County. “Change doesn’t hurt,” he said. “It kind of invigorates.” Burrell believes the time may be right for change in a county where only 11 percent of the voters are registered Democrats, but 60 percent are considered independents. “The demographics are changing,” said Burrell, who has noticed an influx of young families and those reaching retirement age coming to the county from traditional democratic areas such as Hudson and Passaic counties. “As numbers change and dissatisfaction grows, we’re going to build our party.” Burrell predicts the call for candidates will afford some of the best and brightest in Sussex County the opportunity to serve their communities. He said that too often those interested in running for office did not know who to contact or how to declare their candidacy. County Democrats will be offering some of these answers at seminars designed to help potential candidates seeking any level of elected office. The party hopes the seminar will especially encourage residents to run for municipal chairs, where the most glaring gap exists. The party has already increased its numbers from 88 to 110 in county committee seats. “We’ve got to have our municipal organizations function like our county organizations,” said Burrell. “That’s where the rubber meets the road - at the municipal level.” One of those seminars was held last week in Newton and offered potential candidates instruction on the basics of running a campaign, from filing paperwork to fundraising to voter outreach. “We’re doing more than just taking names,” said Richard Ecke, executive director of the Democratic Committee. “If you’re interested in running, we will help you learn about the process. If you choose to run, we will support you in any way we can.”