Little Silver GOP Fill Ticket for November Election

Longtime Little Silver resident Richard J. Scott has been tapped to fill the open spot on the November ballot for borough council following the

GOP incumbents and David Gilmour announced on Wednesday that Scott, who has lived in Little Silver for 20 years and served as a member of the planning board, would join them to run for borough council, according to a release.

Scott, 56, will run for the seat previously held by Bitman, who died Sept. 4 after a 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

"The circumstances surrounding this opportunity are certainly difficult," said Scott, "but I am excited about the challenge and am looking forward to getting our message out."

Scott lives on Point Road with his wife, Leslie, and has three sons, Tyler, Colin and Riley, all of whom attended and schools, and Christian Brothers Academy. He has served for three years on the Little Silver Planning Board.

Scott received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned an MBA from UMass-Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management.

He is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness and Medical Affairs for Meridian Health, which includes Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin and Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel.

that he had until Sept. 13 to place a new candidate on the ballot. According to the release, both incumbent candidates supported the selection of Scott.

Scott and Gilmour are each running for full, three-year terms. Galante, who was appointed to complete the term vacated by Robert C. Neff Jr. when he ran for mayor in 2011, is running to continue to finish out that term through the end of 2013.

“It was wrenching to have to deal with this so close to Jon’s death,” said Gilmour. “But we are confident that we have chosen an exemplary, accomplished candidate who will ably serve the borough, as Jon would have wanted.”