New Jersey Black Republicans: Meet Ray Ellis

 By Mark Tyler, Publisher of Atlantic City Focus, and 

Lilo H. Stainton, Health Care Reporter, NJ Spotlight News

Ray Ellis, a longtime Republican and current member of the Egg Harbor Township Committee, has always prioritized community service over party loyalty. His decades of coaching youth football and working as a teacher and juvenile detective have earned him respect across political lines. Ellis doesn’t care whether a person is a Democrat or a Republican; what matters to him is their commitment to helping the community.

“I don’t like people who are just running for a title,” Ellis said. “Are you going to help the community, or are you just going to be a title man?”

Ellis, originally from Atlantic City, came up at a time when it was commonplace to meet Black Republicans in Atlantic City and Atlantic County. Atlantic City’s first Black Mayor James L. Usry was a Republican. So, too, was former Atlantic City National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, President, Pierre Hollingsworth. “Usry and Hollingsworth were Black Republicans and people don’t know that,” said Ellis. “Back in our day, that’s all there was.” But what’s more important than party affiliation when running for office, is developing genuine relationships, he said. 

ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL 

Ellis has coached youth football in Atlantic County for 44 years, 21 years in Atlantic City and another 23 in Egg Harbor Township. He is a retired detective, who worked in the Juvenile Division. He also served as a fifth-grade teacher in the Atlantic City Public Schools and later as a permanent substitute at Atlantic City High School. He was an instructor at Atlantic Cape Community College and even worked in the Harborfields Atlantic Youth Center, juvenile detention facility. During that time, he met many people and responded to every need. “My thing is communication and setting an example,” Ellis said. “My thing is teaching boys to become men.”

Ellis is so visible that people have compared him to Superman, which has made it into his campaign literature. Ellis has one mailer that includes him donning a super hero uniform.

More than 1.1 million New Jerseyans are Black, making up about 12% of the state’s population, according to data from the US Census Bureau.

In 2022, the bureau estimates that roughly 42% of Blacks who were eligible to vote cast ballots. That percentage is likely to be higher this year because more people tend to vote in presidential elections.

A 2014 report from the Pew Research Center estimated that only 5% of Blacks identified as Republican or leaning Republican at the time.

5% https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/state/new-jersey/party-affiliation/

Ellis said that although much of the election attention centers on former president Trump and his opponent Kamala Harris, down-ballot races will be determined by character and integrity. “This is a big election. It does affect me, but the work I do speaks for me,” Ellis said. “This isn’t going to be a problem for me because there’s not a call I didn’t answer, or a person that I couldn’t or wouldn’t help.” Ellis is consistently the highest vote-getter when he seeks public office. He said candidates who distinguish themselves through legitimate service, do well regardless of the inclination for some to vote straight ticket. “People go Dem, Dem, Dem, Ray Ellis,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if people are Democrat or Republican. People understand that I’m for the community.”

Thanks for reading the whole story!

At Atlantic City Focus, we're committed to providing a platform where the diverse voices of our community can be heard, respected, and celebrated. As an independent online news platform, we rely on a unique mix of affordable advertising and the support of readers like you to continue delivering quality, community journalism that matters. Please support the businesses and organizations that support us by clicking on their ads. And by making a tax deductible donation today, you become a catalyst for change helping to amplify the authentic voices that might otherwise go unheard. And every contribution is greatly appreciated. Join us in making a difference—one uplifting story at a time!