By John Burton
They are the ones who carry the water, figuratively speaking, and do much of the heavy lifting – often quite literally – during the autumn political season. Whether Republican or Democrat, volunteers are the true believers, giving of their time and effort for party and politician, hopefully putting them on the path to office.
“We could not run countywide campaigns without them,” Vin Gopal, the Monmouth County Democratic Committee chairman, acknowledged about the efforts provided by the group of people who provide support for the candidates and party.
“You can just feel their passion,” said Shaun Golden, Monmouth County Republican Committee chairman, as he surveyed the work they were doing at his county headquarters in Colts Neck this week. “The volunteers, they’re the heartbeat of the organization,” said Golden, who is also the incumbent Monmouth County sheriff and seeking re-election this year.
“As someone who started as a volunteer,” said Vincent Solomeno, the Democrat running for county surrogate this year, “I know volunteers are the engine that drives the campaign.”
Solomeno said his grandmother volunteers daily at Democratic headquarters in Hazlet working for his campaign and the slate of candidates in this year’s election.
Ellen Ramey, a retired Belmar resident, said during campaign season she spends her days – all day – at the Democratic campaign headquarters on Belmar’s 10th Avenue. “I come at 8:30 in the morning and I don’t go home until 8 o’clock,” she said. Recently her days have been taken up working the phone banks, calling prospective voters, encouraging them to consider the Democrats.
Ramey conceded working the phones can be tough. “Some folks are just plain nasty,” she said.
But she continues to do what is needed, in part because “it’s fun,” and more importantly, “I know it’s all for the better,” of her community and county, she said.
“It is kind of weird when you call someone and they tell you they don’t like you or worse,” said Lauren Albrecht, Wall, who was offering her time and energy for Democrats, too. “But I get over that pretty quickly.”
“They can make a huge difference in a campaign, especially on the county and local level,” said Thomas Szymanski, the county Republicans’ executive director. Szymanski told of how volunteers last year provided support in the Red Bank Borough Council election, putting out the candidates’ message to residents. The Republican candidate won by literally a couple of votes, securing the first GOP victory in Red Bank in more than a generation.
“Suffice it to say,” Szymanski said, without those volunteers we wouldn’t have had a Republican majority in Red Bank this year.”
The county GOP organization has more than 250 volunteers this campaign season, with the presidential election responsible for an “uptick” in the number this year, he said.
They range in age from 16 – many are students from nearby Colts Neck High School and part of an internship program – to “well into their 80s” Szymanski said.
“Some just want to learn about the process,” and others are here to support individual candidates or the party, he said. Many of them return year after year. “The key is building an environment that they want to be part of,” he said, “and feel they want to make some kind of difference.”
Jill Zakerowski, whose husband is the local GOP municipal chair, was on hand this Tuesday evening preparing mailers to be delivered to voters’ homes. She was here, she said, to support the GOP slate of candidates in her hometown of Neptune City Borough. “I know these people a long time,” she said, “and I’m here to keep them in our government, to keep it a great town.”
Gopal said the county Democrats get “hundreds” of volunteers, without being able to get more specific, from “diverse” age groups. There are also usually 20 to 30 college student interns who get class credit for participating in the organization’s activities. “It’s great to see the enthusiasm that’s out there,” from all of those offering their support, regardless of age or background, Gopal added.
These people who give up their evenings and weekends usually find themselves among others working a bank of phones, working from a brief script and hoping not to alienate any who pick up the call. Barbara Shafer, a Neptune City borough councilwoman, explained “You have to know when not to go to the door, when not to call. Don’t knock on the door during football games; don’t call during dinner hour.”
Others will go out and knock on doors in neighborhoods around the county, offering campaign literature and maybe working directly with candidates as they look to engage voters. Still others, Szymanski explained, work on data collection for the professionals to analyze. Gopal said volunteers also help with social media postings, getting the message out.
“It really does go back to that old saying, ‘All politics is local,’ ” observed Golden.
And for their efforts they may get a T-shirt, lukewarm Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and doughnuts and maybe pizza and soda. But the reward is more than that, many of the volunteers stressed.
“With the exception of my family and work, this is by far the most rewarding thing I can do with my time,” said Albrecht. She serves as the Monmouth County chair of the LGBTQ Caucus and offered a full-throated support for Hillary Clinton. “I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done,” to advance the party’s success on Nov. 8. “Fundraising, phone calls, whatever.”
Gopal was joined Sunday by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Murphy, Middletown, and the party’s candidates for freeholder, sheriff and surrogate for a pep rally-style event at the Belmar location, pumping everybody up before canvassing in Belmar for the candidates.
“We don’t take anything that they do for granted,” Murphy said of the group. “These are people who help make a difference, who bleed the same issues as we do. These are people who make a difference,” he said.
Elijah Nishiura, Red Bank, while only a gentle 17, is already a three-year veteran of campaigning, working locally and on the county level. “This is about directly affecting public policy for a lot of people,” Nishiura said of his work. “I want to do what I can.”
Besides, he acknowledged, it’s a good training ground when he pursues elected office himself in the future. “I definitely want to continue to be involved.”
At Republican headquarters, just after work as it was getting dark on Tuesday, about 25 people, many from Neptune City, rolled up their sleeves and stuffed envelopes and made phone calls. “It’s a busy place,” observed Golden.
“They are supportive not only in the physical tasks but the mental tasks. They bring moral support,” said Neptune City Mayor Robert Brown about those doing yeoman’s work. “They really do care.”
Neptune City’s Tamara Tallman was working to get her son Alex Tallman elected to borough council and because “I’ve always been a huge supporter of the Republican party.”
Interestingly, she’s found people have been more inclined to talk about local elections. “People are mum on the presidential election,” she’s noticed.
She plans on continuing working through Election Day. “I’m happy to give what I can.”
Matt Filosa, Old Bridge, on the Monmouth/Middlesex county border, has worked for the county GOP for nine years as a volunteer. “I think it’s important that people who have the right values and common sense ideas get elected,” he explained.
Now it’s down to the wire. “This weekend we’ll be rocking,” at headquarters and in the communities, Golden maintained.
On the Democratic side, volunteer Prasad Atluri, Marlboro, promised “We’ll do as much as we can.”
