GOP Congressional Nominee Herzig Launches Oceanport Write-In Bid With Former Councilmember Salnick
Herzig says her congressional campaign remains her priority, while Salnick seeks a return to the borough council following his disputed removal from office in 2025.
Republican congressional nominee Hillary Herzig has confirmed to Public Record NJ that she is pursuing a write-in campaign for Oceanport Borough Council alongside Keith Salnick, a former councilmember who maintains an active social media presence under the name of his business, Father Time Fishing, and is suing the borough over his removal from office last year.
The announcement comes as newly filed federal campaign-finance reports show Herzig entering the final days of her congressional race against Democratic incumbent Frank Pallone Jr. with substantially fewer financial resources.
Federal Election Commission pre-general reports, due October 22, show Pallone raised $2.84 million cycle-to-date and held $3.07 million in cash. Herzig reported raising $11,766, with $614 in cash and $2,741 in debt.1
The financial disparity comes in a district where the Democratic presidential margin narrowed from 19 points in 2020 to 6 points in 2024. Democrats retain a registration advantage, with 208,666 registered Democrats, 106,622 Republicans and 200,991 unaffiliated voters as of October.1
An uncontested local election
Two seats on the Oceanport Borough Council are up for election to three-year terms. Republican incumbents Richard “Rick” Gallo and Bryan Keeshen are the only certified candidates. Both have the Monmouth County Republican Party’s endorsement, and Democrats did not nominate candidates.
Gallo, the council president, chairs the public works committee. Keeshen chairs public safety. Both were reelected without opposition in 2023.
Herzig and Salnick are promoting their write-in effort through a recently launched Instagram account. Because neither appears on the ballot for council, supporters must write in their names to cast votes for them.
In an October 22 email to Public Record NJ, Herzig characterized the local campaign as an effort to provide voters with additional choices.
“The Oceanport Borough Council write-in initiative with Keith Salnick is a separate effort intended to provide residents with an additional choice in a local election where the existing candidates are running unopposed,” she wrote.2
Herzig said her congressional campaign remains active and that she would serve in Congress if elected to both offices. Under New Jersey law, the two elected offices cannot be held simultaneously, and a resulting council vacancy would be filled under applicable state procedures.
A significant topic affecting Oceanport and surrounding communities is the redevelopment of nearby Fort Monmouth, where construction of a Netflix production studio has prompted new housing projects and interest in the area’s potential economic growth, a trend described as the “Netflix Effect.”
Salnick seeks return to council
Salnick served on the council beginning in January 2023 but was removed in May 2025 after the borough declared his seat vacant for missing seven meetings over 13 weeks without an excused absence.
Salnick disputes the removal and filed a lawsuit against Oceanport in April 2026. According to The Two River Times, Salnick said he had notified officials about an extended absence related to the birth of his son overseas and requested remote participation. The borough maintained that his absences met the statutory grounds for a vacancy. The lawsuit remains unresolved.3
Salnick also previously competed with Keeshen for a council appointment in December 2019. The council selected Keeshen to fill the vacancy.4
Congressional campaign remains priority
Public Record NJ asked Herzig whether pursuing both offices signaled an early concession in her race against Pallone.
“I do not view providing voters with additional choices as a concession in any election,” Herzig responded. “The two campaigns concern different levels of government, and my participation in the local write-in initiative does not change my commitment to the congressional race, public service or the American people.”
She emphasized her preference if elected to both positions.
“To be absolutely clear, my congressional campaign remains my priority. Should I be elected to both offices, I will serve in the United States Congress.”2
Election Day is November 3. Additional financial details are available in Public Record NJ’s NJ-6 campaign-finance data.
Notes
- Public Record NJ, “New Campaign-Finance Filings Reveal Contrasts in New Jersey Federal Races,” October 23, 2026.
- Hillary Herzig, email response to Public Record NJ, October 22, 2026.
- Emily Schopfer, “Oceanport Borough Named in Two Wrongful Termination Lawsuits,” The Two River Times, September 28, 2026; Keith Salnick v. Borough of Oceanport, MON-L-001702-26.
- Chris Rotolo, “Oceanport Puts Contentious Election in Rearview Mirror,” The Two River Times, January 16, 2020.