TOMS RIVER, NJ—Ocean Democrats For Progress has launched as a grassroots reform movement within the Ocean County Democratic Party focused on strengthening local committees, supporting candidates and volunteers, and building a county party that is more transparent, more active year-round, and better equipped to contest races across the county, organizers said.

Ocean Democrats For Progress was formed by Democrats who believe Ocean County deserves a party that works harder, communicates better, and competes more effectively, according to organizers, rooted in a simple belief: leadership should be judged by results.

The group has already recruited 47 county committee candidates under its slogan “Ocean Democrats For Progress” to contest the county chair election in June.

“For too long, too many Ocean County Democrats have felt like they were on their own,” said Maggie Doucette, a local Democrat who ran for Point Pleasant Beach council in 2024.

Ocean County Democrats have seen too many races go uncontested, too many new volunteers go underutilized, and too many candidates left without the support, coordination, and infrastructure they need to compete, party activists working within the movement said. The group is calling for a more effective and more accountable approach to reverse the disenfranchisement that too many voters have felt for too long.

“A healthy county party should recruit, train, communicate, and support people. It should be helping local candidates and local committees grow stronger, not leaving them to figure everything out by themselves,” Doucette said.

The effort is equally focused on rebuilding Democratic infrastructure from the ground up through stronger local organizing, broader county committee participation, and leadership that is accountable to members and responsive to communities across the county, organizers said.

“Ocean County Democrats deserve a party that works for them,” said Noah Hilsdorf, local Democratic organizer. “That means better communication, better organizing, real support for candidates, and a clear commitment to building Democratic strength in every town, not just showing up when it is convenient.”

For more than two decades, the county party has operated under the same leadership, while Democratic representation in local offices has declined across much of Ocean County and Republicans have too often run without any opposition, the group said.

“The answer is not more rhetoric, but stronger infrastructure, broader participation, and a leadership culture focused on execution,” said Hilsdorf.

The group is also calling for a leadership structure grounded in transparency and measurable support for members and candidates, including practical access to voter data for Democratic candidates and year-round recruitment to strengthen the party at the local level. They are actively vetting candidates for leadership positions, with an expectation that the slate will challenge current Democratic leaders at the convention this summer.
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Ocean Democrats For Progress is a grassroots movement based in Ocean County, New Jersey focused on outreach, recruitment, and coalition-building to strengthen local committees and build a more effective countywide operation. For more information, visit www.oceandemocratsforprogress.org, email oceandemocratsforprogress@gmail.com, and follow @ocean.democrats.for.progress. Press Contact: Evan Phalon