The race for a pair of three-year terms on the Hillsborough Township Committee has officially begun, as candidates from both major political parties formally filed their petitions to run in the June 5 primary election.
The deadline for potential candidates to file petitions to run was Monday, April 2 and according to local party heads, four residents will vie for spots on the governing body. The Democrats will have Dr. James Bergstrom and Jeffrey A. Wright Sr. on their ticket, while the Republicans will have Shawn Lipani and Ron Skobo on the ballot.
The two seats in question are currently held by Republicans Greg Burchette and Carl Suraci. Since neither filed a petition to run this June, they will not be seeking re-election this November.
“I’m of the belief that you should do two terms and move on,” Burchette said. “There are good people to take over and it’s time to give somebody else a chance.”
Suraci said that despite not being on the Republican ticket, he plans on supporting his party.
“While disappointed that I did not receive the Hillsborough Republican Committee’s endorsement, I am committed to supporting the Hillsborough Republican team and working with the local and county teams to ensure victory in November,” he said.
Hillsborough Township Republican Committee Chair Helen Haines said the two outgoing committeemen served the township well.
“They have served the people of Hillsborough very well and the Republican party is very supportive and thankful of them,” she said. “We are also supportive of new faces and new ideas.”
To that end, Haines described Lipani and Skobo as “dynamic individuals” who have lived in the township for decades.
According to Haines, Lipani currently serves as the Hillsborough Township Planning Board chairman. Over the years, he has also been a member of the Somerset County Planning Board, the Hillsborough Economic and Business Development Commission (EDBC), the Hillsborough Board of Adjustment, the Capital Planning Board, the Hillsborough Rotary Club, and the Youth Services Commission.
Lipani is a life-long resident, a small business owner and is married with one daughter. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Rochester.
“I know the importance of fighting to keep taxes low and how to help businesses thrive in this ever changing global marketplace,” Lipani said. “Having the opportunity to give back to the town that has given me so much is a true honor.”
For Skobo, who has lived in Hillsborough for the last 45 years, the chance to run for the governing body was a way for him to contribute to his community.
“Hillsborough has been recognized by numerous organizations for being one of the safest and best towns in New Jersey and of course the 16th best town in America by Money Magazine,” he said. “I look forward to bringing my years of public service to the township committee.”
Skobo is a former Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Captain of Detectives who has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Rutgers University. He is married with two children.
Described by fellow Republicans as an active volunteer around the community, Skobo has been a member of the Hillsborough Township Recreation Commission; the Board of Somerset Treatment Services; the Somerset County Youth Leadership; Somerville Elks Lodge #1068; the Rutgers University Alumni Association; Leadership Somerset; Hillsborough Township Cultural and Arts Commission; and Hillsborough Township Planning Board.
For the Democrats, both Bergstrom and Wright were described as “highly educated professionals with backgrounds that will serve the public well” who had the full support of both the Hillsborough Democratic Organization and the Hillsborough Democratic Alliance.
“We are excited to have smart, thoughtful, and community oriented candidates in a year when people want to see a change in the way government serves the public,” John Beggiato, chairman of the Hillsborough Democratic Organization, said. “[Bergstrom and Wright] have demonstrated a strong commitment to our township and to democratic ideals at national, state, and local levels.”
According to officials, Bergstrom has lived in the township for more than 30 years and has sent his three children to the Hillsborough Township Public School system. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Elmhurst College and earned a doctorate in the same subject from Arizona State University. Since then, he has conducted research at the University of Nevada, Reno and at University of California, Los Angeles.
Bergstrom had a 20-year career at Merck and Co. working on discovering new drugs at the Merck Sharpe and Dohme Research Center in Rahway before becoming a director and medical/scientific writer for Mountain Stream Communications, LLC, a medical communications company he formed with his wife Dr. Lisa Bergstrom.
As a resident, Bergstrom has coached and umpired for Hillsborough Little League, and coached boys’ and girls’ youth basketball programs. He also played in the Hillsborough Over-30 league for a number of years. He was also a founding member of the Friends of Hillsborough Open Space (FOHOS).
Bergstrom has also served as president of the Hillsborough Democratic Alliance and as chairman of the Hillsborough Democratic Organization. He is a member of the Democratic County Committee from District 8 (Wertsville Road).
A Hillsborough resident since 2014, Wright grew up in Piscataway and holds a bachelor of science degree in general business and finance from Norfolk State University. He is currently employed at Garden State Securities, Inc. as an investment adviser representative and financial adviser.
Before moving to Hillsborough, Wright served on the Piscataway Zoning Board of Adjustment for five years, as well as the Open Space Committee and Senior Citizens Committee. He coached Little League Baseball for three years. Wright is a master mason and a member of the Society of Free and Accepted Masons of New Jersey – Alpha Lodge 116.
Wright currently serves as the treasurer of Bethel Presbyterian Church and is also running for the Democratic County Committee from District 9 (Country Classics).
“Local government should improve the lives of all residents in our town, and needs to have a tight connection to all of the public in order to effectively provide necessary and desired services,” Wright said. “We will provide excellent direction and oversight in budgeting, planning, and the complete scope of local services that our township’s residents expect.”