Dems will pick Coursey successor today

Atlantic County Democrats are expected to select Rev. Collins Days, Sr., the pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Atlantic City, to fill the seat left empty following the August 5 death of Ernest D. Coursey, Sr..

Days will serve as the lone Democratic county commissioner until the end of this year.

In November, Days faces Atlantic City Councilman George Tibbit in the race for the District 1 county commissioner seat.  Tibbit switched parties earlier this year and faces Days as a Republican.  Coursey announced in January that he would not be a candidate for re-election, citing health issues.

The District 1 county commissioner seat leans Democratic, but it became more competitive during redistricting after a Democratic map split Atlantic City and Pleasantville into different districts to give them a chance to pick up another seat; that bid was unsuccessful.

Four years ago, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy carried the district by 11 points against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

Coursey served as an Atlantic City councilman from the Third Ward from 1991 to 2002, serving a stint as council president.  He served as an aide to U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli and as a commissioner of the South Jersey Transportation Authority; Coursey was the deputy mayor of Atlantic City while Lorenzo Langford held the post.  He was elected freeholder, the precursor to county commissioner, and was re-elected in 2016, 2019, and 2022.