Jasey supports open presidential primary

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey said she wants an open primary for the presidential nomination.

“I would love to see it open, yes, and earlier,” she said. “I’d like to go back to an earlier date so we’re relevant.”

Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones said he was ready to a consider a proposal by U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez that called for the elimination of organizational lines for the presidency.

The county has the largest block of Democratic primary voters in New Jersey. In 2016’s primary, 12% of Democratic primary votes came from Essex, which Jasey represents.

Despite her support for an open presidential primary, Jasey, who has yet to back a candidate, wasn’t ready to call for the wholesale elimination of organizational lines.

“That’s hard to say. It’s more complicated than just the line, because I know when I was selected, I had to go before all of the county committee folks, Screening first but then the entire county committee, and I had to speak in terms of why they should vote for me,” she said. “And I actually had a challenger get up and speak before me. It was a Democratic process, and that’s nice. Could we be more open? I think so.”