Former Hoboken 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco is supporting 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo for mayor, citing his experiences working with him.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This is the first truly contested mayoral election since I narrowly lost to Ravi Bhalla in 2017. And the same things I said then are even more true today. The new energy and ideas I pushed for back then were never going to be realized under Ravi—and they weren’t. And nothing will change under Emily Jabbour,” he said in a statement.
“I’ve worked closely with both Emily and Mike. I’ve agreed with them. I’ve debated them. But here’s the truth: for eight years, Emily has been at the very center of political power in Hoboken. She’s had full access to the administration she’s now trying to distance herself from. Reinvention may be convenient in an election year, but it raises real questions about trust.”
DeFusco, who has been recently been outspoken about a super PAC aiding Jabbour, has always been a political foil to Bhalla and Jabbour, so his endorsement is not particularly shocking for the political class.
Nonetheless, he joins his successor, 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, and 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos in backing Russo for mayor, all as HCV first reported.
“And when you look at the political machinery behind her—the same PAC networks, the same donors, the same operatives who backed Mayor Bhalla—you begin to see a pattern,” DeFusco added.
“If the same people, the same money, and the same playbook are powering this campaign, how different will the leadership really be? That’s the choice before Hoboken.”
His remarks came after Bhalla and Jabbour had their first public spat over reinstating Brian Crimmins as fire chief.
DeFusco also said he’s supporting Russo’s city council at-large slate of Liz Urtecho, Nicole Magaña, and Pete Keeling.
“I’m incredibly grateful for Councilman DeFusco’s endorsement, and I’m proud to have him on Team Russo. We’ve sat at contentious tables where he has always stood his ground and respectfully advocated for our position because it was in the residents’ best interest,” noted Russo.
“It’s because of Mike’s relentlessly positive vision that our residents will have a European-style market in Warrington Plaza—and under a Russo administration, we will have Mike at the table to help bring it to life. I look forward to his insights over the years to come.”
The non-partisan runoff elections in Hoboken are on December 2nd.