Man-on-the-Street with Rodney Dean, Prospective Commissioner Candidate Talks CD2 & Gloucester County

At Terri Reese’s campaign kickoff event for Congress in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, Steven Solof of InformTheVoteNJ.com caught up with Rodney Dean for a quick “man on the street” interview. Dean has previously run in the Democratic primary for CD-02 and more recently for Gloucester County Commissioner. In this conversation, he: Explains why he came out to support Terri Reese and why he sees her as a “people person” who would represent everyday residents rather than herself. Talks about his run in the primary last year and his experience having his petition signatures challenged, which he says protected “party favorites”. Raises the idea of turning one of South Jersey’s many vacant buildings into a local press room / newspaper hub so voters can easily find information on who’s running and why. Emphasizes how many voters don’t even know what a county commissioner or administrator is, making independent civic information crucial. Points to the 19-candidate Millville commissioner race as an example of why organized coverage, context, and participation matter. Dean says he plans to run for Gloucester County Commissioner again in 2026 and stresses the need for better local press so voters understand which positions are open and who is on the ballot. 0:00 Intro & event setup - Steven introduces InformTheVoteNJ.com, the venue, and Rodney Dean as an early supporter of the project. 1:00 Why Rodney came to the event - Dean says he wanted to see who’s running for Congress and describes Terri Reese as a “people person” who won’t forget voters once in office. 1:50 Connecting Dean’s past CD2 run - Steven notes that Reese is running for the same congressional seat Dean once sought; praises her for starting her campaign early so voters can learn more. 2:50 Vacant buildings & local press idea - Dean talks about empty buildings in South Jersey and floats the idea of using one to house a press room/newspaper to inform the community about politics. 3:25 Gloucester County Commissioner race story - Dean recounts his recent independent run for Gloucester County Commissioner and says his signatures were challenged because he was “taking signatures” from party favorites. 4:40 “Crooked in politics” & being a non-favorite - He argues that real, everyday people who aren’t party favorites get pushed out, and announces his intention to run for Gloucester County Commissioner again in 2026. 5:25 Why political press is needed - Dean says many voters don’t know what a commissioner or administrator is, and stresses the need for people like Steven to explain which positions are open and who is running. 6:10 Millville’s 19-candidate race - He references the 19-person Millville race and says not all candidates participated in coverage, arguing that full participation helps the community get informed. 6:40 Closing & call to vote - Dean thanks Steven, plugs his future run for Gloucester County Commissioner, and reinforces the importance of getting information to the public.