Atlantic County Dist. 1 Commissioner Ernest Coursey Will Not Run Again; Endorses Rev. Collins Days
Atlantic County Commissioner Ernest Coursey
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY — District 1 in Atlantic County will have a new commissioner in the fall after the longtime commissioner Ernest Coursey announced he would not seek re-election for health reasons, with Rev. Collins Days quickly throwing his hat in the ring for the seat.
Coursey announced on Jan. 30 he would not run again for his seat for more than a decade. The Press of Atlantic City said last month that Coursey is being treated for colon cancer.
“After careful consideration and discussion with my family and close friends, I have decided not to run for a fifth term of office due to health concerns,” Coursey said in a statement sent to Front Runner New Jersey.
“I wish to thank my constituents for the opportunity to represent them for the past 11 years. It has truly been an honor to serve the citizens and taxpayers of Atlantic County with pride and ignity.”
Coursey, who also serves as the chief of staff for Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., has a political history that spans three decades in the area, serving on city council representing the Third Ward and other political positions before he became county commissioner.
He served on city council from 1991 to 2002, serving time as president and vice president of council. The Atlantic County Democratic Committee said that Coursey “made the Third Ward a shining example of community spirit and pride.” He operated under an “open door policy”,
published the first ward-wide newsletter; and established the “Third Ward Eye-On-Crime,” to monitor criminal activity in the neighborhood.
Days would make a strong candidate for the Democrats as pastor of the 2,000-member Second Baptist Church in Atlantic City which he has guided for about 30 years. He has been a member of the Stockton University Board of Trustees since 2021.
He is the father of Constance “Mandy” Days-Chapman, the former principal of Atlantic City High School, who is fighting off well-publicized charges from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office connected with Small’s daughter.
“I fell in love with this area when I first came to preach here 30 years ago,” Days said in a statement on Facebook. “Atlantic County is a wonderful place to live, but many of our folks are struggling to make ends meet.
“When I heard that Commissioner Coursey was not seeking re-election, I knew that the residents of Absecon Island needed a strong advocate like Ernest to help lower costs, improve our roads, and help those in need. That’s why I’m proud to announce my candidacy for County Commissioner.”
In a separate statement released by the Atlantic County Democratic Committeey, Coursey endorsed Days for the seat.
“I am so honored and humbled that my dear friend Ernest Coursey has been so encouraging of my candidacy,” Days said in the statement. “My goal is to be as effective of a county commissioner as Ernest was to improve the quality of life for residents of the First District.”
“He leads or is involved with several local nonprofits that focus on drug addiction and recovery, expanding home ownership for lower income residents, and mentoring at-risk youth,” the Atlantic County Democratic Committee said.
“Rev. Days is a past president of the Fellowship of Churches of Atlantic City & Vicinity and served on the Atlantic City Long Term Recovery Group, which helped residents on Absecon Island rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.”
Currently Atlantic City councilman George Tibbitt announced last month that he was switching parties and would run for the District 1 commissioners’ seat at a Republican. Tibbitt had won four terms as an at-large Democratic city councilman, but a falling out with Small led him to not seek the at-large city seat again.
“Rev. Days is the right candidate at the right time to serve Atlantic City on the Board of commissioners. Atlantic City will be well served by his election,” Atlantic City council vice president Kaleem Shabazz said in a statement on Facebook.
The newest city councilwoman Patricia Bailey voiced her support for Days online as well.
“May the Glory of the Almighty shine on his candidacy,” Bailey said on Facebook. “May he be victorious.”
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