Fenton not disturbed by sea of white

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Much has been made of just how white the New Jersey Republican delegation is. But Burlington County Freeholder Aubrey Fenton, who sticks out as one of only two black New Jersey Republicans who have traveled to the Twin Cities to attend the Republican National Convention, said the party is on the right track in recruiting a diverse base.

“It’s improving, and as you see more and more examples of the inclusion it will continue to advance. I’ve been surprised with the percentage of minorities and women that I’ve seen at the national convention at large,” he said. “I think it’s a lot better than it was, and it will be a lot better than it is.”

This was Fenton’s first convention, however. And in an interview with the Star-Ledger, former Gov. Tom Kean lamented the minority showing here as less than previous years, telling the paper that “there have been far more African-Americans at this convention in the past."

Still, Fenton thinks that the party is opening up.

“There’s no two ways about that. In Burlington County we had more minority candidates… I’d challenge any organization with it,” he said. “In our county we’ve been better at it than the Democrats who usually purport that. So I feel very comfortable with it.”

Fenton does not support a quota system similar to the one that the Democrats used to select delegates.

“What I like is the standard that says we are going to select the best people for the job and have an active recruitment of everyone in our community,” he said.