There was plenty of controversy in America in 2019 as the gap between political parties split wider. Southern Ocean County fit right in, with some local issues seemingly cleaving folks into armed camps. OK, the armed camps reference is only a metaphor. Still, the area hosted some skirmishes in the culture war that is heating up to the level of the 1960s. Meanwhile, late in the year, the area made national political news reflecting the Trump/anti-Trump division that is rocking the country.