Bergstrom and Wright to run for Hillsborough Township Committee

Democrats James Bergstrom and Jeffrey A. Wright, Sr. have announced their candidacy for Hillsborough Township Committee. Both of these candidates are highly educated professionals with backgrounds that will serve the public well. They have the enthusiastic support of the Hillsborough Democratic Organization and the Hillsborough Democratic Alliance.

“The Hillsborough Democrats are proud to offer to the public our excellent candidates, Jim Bergstrom and Jeff Wright,” said John Beggiato, Chairman of the Hillsborough Democratic Organization. “They have demonstrated a strong commitment to our township and to democratic ideals at national, state, and local levels. 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.” They join Shanel Robinson and Sara Sooy, candidates for Somerset County Freeholders, as unopposed candidates on the Democratic ticket for the June 5 Primary.

Dr. Bergstrom, who has resided in Hillsborough for over 30 years, graduated from Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Chemistry. He holds a PhD in Chemistry, in the Biochemistry field, from Arizona State University. He has done research at the University of Nevada, Reno and at University of California, Los Angeles (Research Assistant Professor). He had a 20-year career at Merck and Co. working on discovering new drugs at the Merck Sharpe and Dohme Research Center in Rahway, NJ. For the past 13 years, he has worked as a Director and Medical/Scientific Writer for Mountain Stream Communications, LLC, a medical communications company he formed with his wife Dr. Lisa Bergstrom. Their children, Erica, Timothy and Benjamin, all attended and graduated from Hillsborough public schools. Jim coached and umpired for Hillsborough Little League, and coached boys’ and girls’ youth basketball programs. He developed many friendships with fellow basketball enthusiasts while playing in the Hillsborough Over-30 league for more than a dozen years. Jim was a founding member of the Friends of Hillsborough Open Space (FOHOS) which succeeded in defeating a 2013 ballot initiative that would have diverted municipal Open Space funding to other purposes. Jim 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).

Mr. Wright grew up in Piscataway and moved to Hillsborough in 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Science, in General Business/Finance from Norfolk State University in Virginia. He currently works for Garden State Securities, Inc., as an Investment Adviser Representative and Financial Adviser. Previously he worked for Merrill Lynch in those capacities. He holds Series 7 (General Securities Representative), 63 (Uniform Securities Agent), and 65 (Uniform Investment Adviser) designations and a New Jersey State Life Insurance license. Jeff is married to Jennifer and has four children. Jeff served on Piscataway’s Zoning Board of Adjustment for 5 years, as well as the Open Space Committee and Senior Citizens Committee. He coached Little League Baseball for three years. Jeff is a Master Mason/Member of the Society of Free and Accepted Masons of New Jersey – Alpha Lodge 116. He serves as Treasurer of Bethel Presbyterian Church. He is also running for the Democratic County Committee from District 9 (Country Classics).

Both Jim and Jeff are advocates of community engagement. “We are ready, willing, and able to bring our organizing, financial, and research skills to improving our town. We have fought for better local services, sensible development policies, transparency, high ethical standards, and respectful, open communication with residents, and will continue to do so if elected to the Township Committee,” said Dr. Bergstrom.

“I am eager to serve Hillsborough at the Township Committee level, and hope that Jim and I can inspire greater, more inclusive involvement from the entire community,” said Jeff Wright. “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. We will provide excellent direction and oversight in budgeting, planning, and the complete scope of local services that our Township’s residents expect.”

More information about the candidates can be found at www.borodems.org/candidates online, HillsboroughDems on facebook, or Campaign2018@borodems.org on email.

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