BERKELEY-This week, the Ocean County Democrats shocked the political establishment when they announced that there will be no media or public access to their annual nominating convention for governor of New Jersey and state level tickets.

https://www.facebook.com/oceancountypolitics/videos/1469435819755660/

Video from PoliticsOC.

As first reported in the Asbury Park Press, there will be no public viewing of the “political sausage making” that is going on behind closed doors at Central Regional High School.

In contrast to today’s dark ops style meeting being held by the Democrats, the Ocean County Republicans held their meeting in clear public view, hiding nothing from the media or the public, both of which were routinely welcomed to attend.

One reporter in Lacey Township, Gavin Rozzi of Politics OC was determined to see what was going on inside the secret meeting and has been covering the meeting from outside the doors and outside since early this morning, but with the help of insiders within the building.

Nationwide, for the past year, Democrats have been accused of rigging nominations which favored Hillary Clinton over party popular choice, Bernie Sanders during last year’s Presidential convention.

Democrats in Ocean County have yet to comment or reveal why they chose the blackout today, but Politics OC, out of Lacey Township is determined to find out why, posting several photos and what is known so far from these secret meeting.

Early images being filtered out show a low turnout, compared to a packed ballroom for Republicans earlier this month.

Follow this story as it unfolds and see released photos from the inside at politicsoc.com.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.