To the Editor:

Now is not the time to hide.

On Oct. 12, the Jewish Federation of Ocean County, in partnership with the Toms River NAACP and the League of Women Voters, sponsored a Candidates Night. It was an opportunity for state and county-level candidates to address issues of concern in order to combat hate and prejudices of all kinds. Democratic state candidates from Legislative Districts 9, 10, 12 and 30 were in attendance, but not one Republican candidate from any of those districts chose to attend this forum.

The 9th District Democratic ticket in Southern Ocean County, Gabriel Franco (state Senate) and Joe Atura (state…

October 19, 2023