UPDATED STORY: Point Beach Independent Candidates for Mayor and Two Council Seats Release Statements

Phyllis Thomson, Bret Gordon and Karen "Kitty" Stillufsen are running as Independents in November's race for two Point Beach council seats, according to the Ocean County clerk's office.

Thomson had served on the Point Beach Board of Education for the past six years, but declined to run for re-election in this past April's election. She is a special education teacher in Point Pleasant Borough.

Gordon is a retired Navy Captain who had served as Commanding Officer of the Lakehurst Naval Base.

Thomson and Gordon are running with Mayor Vincent Barrella, a registered Republican who is running for re-election as an Independent for the second consecutive year.

Stillufsen could not be reached for comment.

Primary day is the deadline for Independent candidates to file with the county to run in the general election. Tuesday's primaries for the mayoral and two, three-year council seats are uncontested.

But in the Nov. 8 election, the Independent council candidates will battle Republicans William Mayer and Andy Cortes and Democrats Frank Rizzo and Nick Mazzola.

Republican Stephen Reid will challenge Barrella for the second consecutive year.

The Democrats are not running a candidate for mayor.

The county has Gordon listed as "Leonard 'Bret' Gordon," but he is referred to as "Bret Gordon" in a prepared statement issued by Barrella.

Of all the council candidates, Rizzo is the only incumbent and the other five are political newcomers.

The second council seat up for grabs is held by Councilman Sean Hennessy, who is not running for re-election.

Last year, the incumbent mayor beat a recall effort by 172 votes, Reid by 110 votes and Democrat John Dixon by 468 votes.

As of October 2010, the borough of approximately 5,400 residents had 3,505 registered voters, according to the Borough Clerk's office.

Barrella said in his statement that his slate's campaign slogan will be: "Integrity, Commitment, Experience."

"I am very happy that Phyllis and Bret have decided to run for Council seats," Barrella said. "Both offer the residents and taxpayers of the Beach a wealth of
experience, and each is committed to putting the interests of our residents and taxpayers before their own."

"Ms. Thomson served on the Board of Education for six years and has experience in dealing with the state-mandated 2% tax levy cap as a result of her service on the board's
finance committee," the statement says.

"The residents and taxpayers of Point Pleasant Beach are fortunate that Phyllis has decided to continue her history of service to the community," Barrella
continued. "The board's loss will hopefully be the council's gain."

"During her tenure on the Board of Education, Ms. Thomson earned a reputation as a tireless worker who has had a history of being an independent thinker," the statement says.

Mr. Gordon is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, who served in the Navy for 27 years, before retiring with the rank of Captain, the statement says.

"Captain Gordon brings a wealth of experience with him," said Barrella. "He was the Commanding Officer of Lakehurst Naval base; as such Captain Gordon will bring to the council the experience of effectively being responsible for the management of a small town.

"Mr. Gordon retired from the Navy in 2007, and despite having the option of making his home anywhere in the United States, he and his wife Beth, also a former Naval officerchose Point Pleasant Beach to be their permanent home," Barrella said.

"Both Mrs. Thomson and Captain Gordon have decided to run for positions on the council because they understand that Point Pleasant Beach is at a crossroads," said
Barrella.

"Neither is seeking office for any reason other than their desire to serve the community that they both call home, and in the hope that they will be able to help
navigate Point Pleasant Beach through the difficult times we face," Barrella continued.

Gordon has been a regular attendee at Point Beach council meetings, according to a separate statement released by Gordon and Thomson.

"As relative newcomers to town, my wife Beth and I have been interested in serving the community through our church affiliation and involvement with the local schools," said Gordon in the statement.

"I have spent a great deal of time educating myself on the current issues facing our town and see many similarities between the challenges we face today and issues I dealt with on a daily basis at the Naval Base." said Gordon.

"Both Gordon and Thomson understand the difficult political climate in the Beach and believe that they can work well with the other members of council and the mayor on those quality of life and financial issues confronting small towns," the statement says.

"In seeking solutions to our problems, it is essential that Council members be divorced from clubs or groups with agendas that may be at odds with the best interests of our residents and taxpayers," said Gordon.

Thomson says in the council statement that before beginning her teaching career, Thomson was a small business owner and a stay-at-home mother.

In addition to serving on the school board, Thomson served as a member of the Planning Board and the Recreation Committee.

"I was excited about being asked to run with Bret and the mayor as an independent candidate and I look forward to working only in the best interests of the residents and taxpayers of the Beach," said Thomson.

"During the past years, I have worked hard on the Board of Education to maintain and improve our schools’ well-earned reputation as the best in Ocean County. That reputation is critical to both the future success of our students and property values throughout our town," Thomson said in the statement.

In the 2007 election, Barrella was elected as a Republican, has been mayor since 2008 and was recently elected by his fellow Ocean County Mayors to serve as the Secretary of the
Ocean County Mayor's Association.

In addition, Barrella was chosen by his fellow mayors to be a Director of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, a statewide organization representing the mayors of all of New Jersey's 566 municipalities.

This story will be updated with additional information and photos as they become available. In future stories, candidates will be interviewed regarding pertinent issues.