Nelson Carney, Stacy Shorter-Carney Both Running for Office in Salem County
Nelson Carney Jr. and Stacy Shorter-Carney at NAACP New Jersey State Conference event. Photo courtesy of Nelson Carney.
By Clyde Hughes | AC JosepH Media
WOODSTOWN — Nelson Carney, Jr. and his wife Stacy Shorter-Carney will be hitting the campaign trail double-time this year as the couple asks Salem County residents to vote for the spouse and themselves.
Stacy Shorter-Carney is campaigning to retain her seat on the Woodstown Borough Council. Nelson Carney, president of the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District board, is running for a spot on the Salem County Board of Commissioners.
“It’s time for a change in Salem County,” Carney told Front Runner New Jersey about his run for county commissioner. “It is definitely one of our goals to bring more people of color to work for the county. The Republicans have been in control and we are not being hired and if we are, they find a reason to get rid of us.”
Nelson is running with Catherine Bobbitt, a member of the Jacobs Engineering Group and a volunteer with Salem County Women’s Services.
President of the Salem County NAACP, Carney has been with the Salem County Department of Public Works since 2017 and is a member of the CWA Local 1085. He said he is a stronger supporter of unions and that local support will be critical in his run for county commissioner.
He is also a member of the Salem County Economic Development Advisory Council and is on the board of directors of the Salem County Chamber of Commerce and Stand Up for Salem.
Shorter-Carney, who is also an officer with the Salem County NAACP, is one of two African Americans on Woodstown’s council. The other is Republican Bertha Hyman, who is not running this election cycle.
“I am excited and looking forward to campaigning with my husband,” Shorter-Carney told Front Runner New Jersey. “We strive to support each other in whatever we do, so this should be relatively easy. The main issue I foresee as far as us both running for public office simultaneously is the time it takes to run a campaign will limit our ‘us’ time together.”
The Carneys said they hope their run will help inspire more African Americans to get involved in the political process in Salem County. They said it is the best way for their voices to be heard inside the halls of government as well as outside.
“The need of African Americans or any minority to get involved in politics is to ensure fair representation,” Shorter-Carney said. “We need to close the gap of ethnicity in political leadership in order for ascertain racial equality.”
Carney said regardless of the outcome, he will remain president of the Salem County NAACP, where he has been the county’s leading voice against racism and discrimination. He stressed, though, that he hopes new and younger people step up to fill such leadership positions in the near future.
“We’re always looking for that younger blood to step forward and lead,” Carney said. “It’s important for us to pass the torch to the younger generation.”
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