The Atlantic County Democratic organization has selected the Rev. Collins A. Days Sr. to fill the seat on the Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners vacated by the Aug. 5 death of former District 1 Commissioner Ernest Coursey, who succumbed following a long battle with cancer.
The Atlantic City Council on Wednesday voted to rename City Hall after Coursey, who was recognized as a staunch advocate of the people.
Rev. Days will be sworn in at the next Board of County Commissioners meeting being held 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 in Northfield. He will be the only Democrat on the nine-member board and will serve until the end of the year when Corsey’s term was due to expire.
The Democrats made a brief announcement about the appointment on their Instagram page.
Days is the Democrat party candidate in the November General Election, and will face off against Atlantic City Councilman George Tibbit, a former Democrat who switched parties a few months ago to run for the seat as a Republican.
District 1 includes Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate and Longport.
Days announced his candidacy when he heard that Coursey would not seek re-election due to his health. Before his death, Corsey endorsed his candidacy.
“When I heard that Commissioner Coursey was not seeking re-election, I knew that residents of Absecon Island needed a strong advocate like Ernest to help lower costs, improve our roads, and help those in need,” Days said.
According to his bio, Rev. Days has led the 2,000-member congregation of Second Baptist Church in Atlantic City for 30 years. In 2021, he was approved by both Republicans and Democrats to serve on the Stockton University Board of Trustees. He is a member of several nonprofits that focus on drug addiction and recovery, expanding home ownership and mentoring at-risk youth. He past president of the Fellowship of Churches of Atlantic City & Vicinity and served on the Atlantic City Long Term Recovery Group, which helped residents on Absecon Island rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.
The Atlantic City resident and his wife have four children and eight grandchildren.
