Horsham Councilman Chaudhry Won't Seek Office

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —The township's newest council member has decided not to go beyond filling out the term of his predecessor.

Jay Chaudhry will not be running for election to the post, Township Manager Bill Walker said. He was sworn in at the January reorganization meeting to fill the remaining year of Gregory Nesbitt's term, which expires on Dec. 31.

The township had received applications from six residents before choosing Chaudhry to replace Nesbitt, who resigned after 19 years on the council.

The May 16 primary council race is uncontested.

Council President Mark McCouch is running on the Republican ticket along with Stephen VanHorn for two council seats. The Democratic ticket features Samantha Slaff and Ellen Zschunke, according to a sample ballot from the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

Chaudhry has lived in Horsham Township since 2000 and is married with two sons, who both graduated from the Hatboro-Horsham School District.

He has served on the planning commission since 2017. But while he is allowed under municipal code to continue on the planning board, Chaudhry resigned from the post.

The dentist, who has an office in Glenside, is also an associate professor at Temple University School of Dentistry, St. Luke’s Hospital, and UPenn Dental School.

Chaudhry did not return an email from Patch seeking comment.

Nesbitt explained that his resignation was due to his job with the law firm of Kilcoyne & Nesbitt, LLC in Plymouth Meeting, where he serves as a trial lawyer specializing in defending physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases.