By ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news
Could Township Councilman Bill Hurlock be running against Mikie Sherrill for Congress in the 11th District?
It’s a possibility, the First Ward councilman said last Friday.
“It’s something I’m seriously considering. I’ve had several people reach out,” Hurlock said.
Hurlock grew up in Morris County, where his father works as a police officer and his mother works as a teacher.
The 11th District largely consists of Morris County, with a portion of Upper Montclair within its boundaries.
“I’ve always had an interest in running for additional office in the future,” Hurlock said.
If he decides to run, he said that he would be running as a Republican.
One of the main issues on his platform would be New Jersey getting a better return on tax dollars sent to Washington.
“We always send a dollar down and we get less than a dollar back,” he said.
Another key concern is infrastructure, including the long-delayed reconstruction of the Hudson River tunnels between New York and New Jersey.
“There’s obviously a host of issues I’ll be looking at, but I’d start with those two,” he said.
The 11th District congressional seat will be vacant soon, as Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen announced in January that he would not run for re-election after his current term runs out at the end of the year.
Sherrill is a former Navy pilot, federal prosecutor and a Montclair resident who last year announced she would run as the Democratic candidate for the 11th race.
Hurlock is a partner in a Montclair law firm, and is licensed to practice in the courts of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. While in D.C., Hurlock served as a federal prosecutor for the Office of Independent Counsel investigating allegations of corruption at the highest levels of the federal government.
At a Q&A session on Friday, March 9, Mayor Robert Jackson said either candidate would be good for this district.
“I’ve had some conversations with Mikie, and if elected, I think she’s going to be a very energetic representative for us, and it’s great that she comes from here,” Jackson said. “I think Bill would be another good person – I work with Bill here on the council, he’s smart as a whip, and I think he would be a very good advocate for Montclair as well. I don’t think you could lose with either one or both. I think [they’re] very smart… .up and coming stars in their respective parties.”
Jackson also had words of praise for Frelinghuysen.
“I think Rodney is a good guy, an honorable fellow, he’s been very good to Montclair in terms of responsiveness,” Jackson said.
If Hurlock were to win, Jackson said the council would have to make a decision on how to fill Hurlock’s position on the council. Whether that would involve a special election or an unexpired term would have to be determined, he said.