Salem GOP picks Laury, Ostrum for freeholder race

Salem County Republicans will make another run for control of the Board of Freeholders this year with incumbent Ben Laury and Mickey Ostrum, a Woodstown obstetrician, as their candidates.

Republican Bob Vanderslice lost his re-election bid by seven points in 2017, leaving the GOP with a narrow 3-2 control of county government. But five days before Christmas, Freeholder Melissa DeCastro said she was switching parties – flipping control to the Democrats.

Now Ostrum will try to take out DeCastro, who is expected to seek re-election as a Democrat.

Popular Sheriff Chuck Miller will seek re-election to a fifth term.  Democrats have not run anyone against Miller since 2006, when he beat retired State Police captain Bill Higgins by a 52%-48% margin.

Ostrum has practiced obstetrics and gynecology in New Jersey and Delaware since 1980.  He is the deputy chair of OB/GYN at Christiana Hospital in Wilmington.

Laury, a former Elmer school board member, is completing his third term on the freeholder board. He was the top vote-getter in the last election, finishing 853 votes ahead of DeCastro, his then-running mate, and 953 votes ahead of Democrat Charles Hassler.  Hassler unseated Vanderslice last year.