Burry Exits GOP Monmouth Commissioner Race, But Not Civic Role

FREEHOLD, NJ — Lillian G. Burry, longtime Monmouth County Commissioner and an important figure in the political and business community, says she won't seek re-election to office in November, but she plans to maintain her many civic commitments.

In a heavily Republican county, the race for the all-GOP Board of County Commissioners saw an apparent challenge to Burry when Republican Erik Anderson, Shrewsbury mayor, put in his bid for nomination in January. Current Commissioner Ross Licitra is also seeking election, in his case to a second term. Both are supported by the county Republican Committee.

But Burry assured the community she will fulfill her current term and remain as active as ever in civic life:

“While public life may be a brief candle, civic life is something limited only by life itself. I find that now is the time to bring the years of my political life to a close but to assure all of you who have counted on my support for the good things that make Monmouth County such a wonderful place to live, that my voice will not fall silent as I explore new ways to be of service.

"I plan to complete this term in office but not seek re-election this year,” she said in a letter to the county Republican Party.

The party, led by Shaun Golden, who is also the county sheriff, has not publicly commented on Burry's decision to Patch.

In her letter to the county Republican party stating her decision not to seek re-election, Burry said "The deeds we do, the things we create, built on the strong foundation of centuries past and providing the future with a secure place to stand, will endure long beyond our hour upon the stage."

"A public life that is well lived is not a tale told by an idiot, and while it may come with its own days of both sound and fury , it signifies faith in the great continuum of civic duty and a deep belief in the importance of liberty and democracy,” she said.

Erik Anderson announced in January he was seeking the GOP commissioner nomination from the Monmouth County Republican Committee.

Burry at the time had not declared her bid, but according to a published report in the New Jersey Globe, her support from the regular Republican party was uncertain.

Anderson will be running with Commissioner Ross Licitra, of Marlboro, who also announced his candidacy for re-election in January. Both were endorsed by the county GOP at its nominating convention Feb. 23.

The Democratic candidates for Monmouth County Commissioner will be named this Saturday, March 18, at the county Democratic Committee convention, according to officials there.

Commissioner Burry is now serving her sixth three-year term on the county Board of Commissioners.

Burry was the first female director of the board in 2008 and again in 2010, 2014 and 2017, her Monmouth County bio says. In decades of service, she has served on local governing bodies in Matawan and then Colts Neck and was mayor of Colts Neck. She is a well-known Realtor, owner of Colts Neck Realty.

Her resume is impressive.

According to just parts of her county bio, she was appointed to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority serving as vice chair, and to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, where she chairs the Veterans Affairs Sub-Committee and serves on the Real Estate Sub-Committee.

She was appointed by the Commissioner of the Interior to the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee for the National Park Service.

Burry received many awards including: Marine Corps League Distinguished Citizen; Sheriff’s Officers Fraternal Order of Police Person of the Year; Monmouth County Historical Association’s Person of the Year; Latino American Association’s Outstanding Community Member and Eastern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce Spinnaker Award for Public Service.

Additionally, Burry received the first Count Basie Vanguard Award for lifetime devotion to the arts.

In 2015, she received the M. Claire French Award, recognizing her leadership in historical preservation and in 2016 the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore honored her as a Woman of Distinction. She received the Brookdale Community College’s Wilbur Ray Community Service Award in April 2020 for exceptional commitment to the community.

Working in a collaborative effort with the Soldier On organization, she found a home for homeless veterans of Monmouth County.

Her background as a candidate was also explained on the Monmouth County Republican Party website here, where she is also pictured.