the county executive is chief officer of the County's executive branch of government just the five largest counties here in the state have a county exec Atlantic Bergen Essex Hudson and Mercer the state constitution mandates County voters elect these powerful figureheads but as long time execs in Hudson and Mercer are retiring some are questioning if their successors have been all buttoned up senior political correspondent David Cruz reports if you stop someone in a coffee shop or you know on the train who's your who's your county commissioner who's who's your county executive you know nine out of 10 people are not going to be able to tell you Elena little a long shot county executive Democratic Party primary candidate in Hudson County knows she has to answer two big questions number one who are you and number two what's a county executive the simplest answer to the second one is that the county executive is kind of like the mayor of your county and the County Commissioners they used to be called freeholders are kind of like the city council there are five County Executives in New Jersey Hudson Bergen Essex Mercer and Atlantic man you get a lot of control over jobs and a big budget right absolutely these are Big offices these are Big governments um in in our five largest counties um and yes there is a big Workforce in each of those five counties and the ability to control that Workforce for Dan Benson and assemblyman in Mercer County since 2011 the prospect of moving from the legislative branch to the executive branch at the county where he once served as a Freeholder is a natural progression you really have an opportunity to just get a Hands-On ability to make a really big difference in our communities you know Mercer County is about 375 000 people and it's just an amazing place and so we have this great opportunity uh to do some real good and that's why I got involved the county budget in Mercer is around 350 million dollars in Hudson where Democrat Craig guy the chief of staff for the current County exec is running as the party's Choice it's over 600 million dollars that's real money for parks and Roads and utilities and social services at Mercer and Hudson where Democrats dominate who wins the primary generally wins The General world but where Benson's nomination came after an open party convention guy's nomination is a more inside game where strong Mayors like Brian stack of Union City and Steve fullup of Jersey City and the party chairperson have the final say on who gets the party line and its estimated 30-point Advantage I think the the issue of the wine gets clouded sometimes but let's face it these Mayors get elected you know they don't show up and get appointed and then start you know uh designating their friends as as potential cat as candidates but why not have a convention like they do in in Mercer well you know Mercer you know Mercer has their process Hudson has theirs you know again you know I I I don't have a problem you know with with MRSA but I also know that Hudson Hudson's policy in regards to the line I believe is a sound policy the chair and the mayors traditionally in Hudson County make the decisions behind closed doors so what you end up is you know a room of 15 dudes back you know stereotypical smoke-filled back room making the decision about who who gets the party line what it is the county chairman who's deciding control um who is making this decision for himself or herself um then that is where it gets ripe for abuse and ripe for criticism because it's not a democratic process in very blue Hudson though guy says party voters are getting exactly what they say they want even if there hasn't been a formal headcount I consider myself a a Democrat with Progressive values you know I'm a Joe Biden Democrat whether those two are mutually exclusive is a whole other conversation for Democrats the kind of thing that might happen at a party convention or at a candidate's debate neither of which happened or will happen this year there and that that means as always in the end it's up to you to decide I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news [Music]