Mercer County voters need to hear a new message
As political prognosticators declare Mercer County Democrats overwhelming favorites with an estimated 2-1 advantage for elections, reality delivers another observation.
First, let’s round up the number of registered voters to 240,000 in Mercer County which would mean about 160,000 Democrats in good standing and
80,000 Republicans.
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes received 33,617 votes in his 2015 victory over Lisa Richford (16,433).
Do the math. If a little less than half of Republicans voted for their candidate, Richford would serve as county executive.
Winning elections should be connected to message and ideas although the end game of claiming victories remains a matter of getting your voters to the polls. Period.
Paul Perez, a Trenton mayoral candidate lost a 2018 runoff election in Trenton after receiving the most votes during an initial election. Perez collected 2,536 votes to Gusciora’s 1833.
Gusciora claimed victory by a 4524 to 4219 margin. That’s no mandate for the city’s first openly gay mayor.
If you want mindnumbing apathy numbers then consider that 8743 of 40,000 or 21.8 percent of registered city voters joined the election.
Imagine a candidate who could connect with the 31,000 disconnected, disenfranchised and disappointed voters who have deserted politics, relinquished their freedom and rights to vote.
What would be the message? Inclusion. Public safety. Improved education.
While people bemoan Trenton residents’ exodus from the most powerful democratic exercise, county citizens offer dismal numbers with a mere 20.8 percent engaged in 2015.
Interestingly, voter apathy in Trenton and Mercer County runs almost parallel.