North Bergen Mayor/State Senator Nick Sacco (D-32), Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop were a few of the dignitaries who joined Hoboken Freeholder Anthony Romano at his re-election fundraiser last night.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKIx1Hj2fQ0[/fve]
Hosted at Lulu’s Lounge at the W Hotel, North Bergen Mayor/State Senator Nick Sacco (D-32) gave Romano props for winning off the line in 2014, hinting that history will not repeat itself in the June 2017 primary.
“He’s been a friend to me and everybody else because he’s done such a wonderful job. Remember, last election he wasn’t endorsed by the Hudson County Democratic party. Now, in truth, every member of the party was with him, but he wasn’t endorsed by the party,” Sacco said of Romano.
“So this fight was really on his own. And he had to work day and night, and he pulled it through, and nobody could ever get more respect than him for what he accomplished. Because in my eyes, that was a fighter, a tough guy, who pulled it through. So Stick, congratulations on that win.”
Sacco added that the leaders of the Hudson County Democratic Organization “will be standing with you” during next year’s election.
When it was his turn at the microphone, Romano was thankful for the continued efforts and support of Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Sacco, also addressing what the county does to maintain and improve the Mile Square City.
“We have a roads department that not only paves the county streets, they help when they can with the city streets. They plow, we have a sheriff’s department through shared services that comes down and offers many services such as prisoner transportation and other things,” the freeholder explained.
“And I just want people to understand we just did the viaduct: the largest reconstruction project, led by Tom DeGise and the freeholder board, in the history of Hudson County – they did a great job. It actually created a new section of noho, everything is beautiful underneath the viaduct.”
He added that he plans to get the campaign moving full speed ahead soon.
Romano currently has no challengers for the June 2017 Democratic primary, though Hoboken attorney Phil Cohen, who lost to Romano in 2014, has said he would consider a rematch under the right circumstances.
Political operative Joey Muniz served as the emcee for the evening.
Others in attendance included Assemblyman Raj Mukjerji (D-33), Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, Hoboken Ward 1 Councilman Mike DeFusco, North Bergen Commissioner Julio Marenco, North Bergen Freeholder Anthony Vainieri (D-8), West New York Freeholder Caridad Rodriguez (D-7), West New York Board of Education Trustee Jonathan Castaneda, former Assemblymen Sean Conners and Carmelo Garcia, political operative Pablo Fonseca, Romano’s campaign manager, Hoboken Democratic Committee Secretary Joe Branco, Jersey City Democratic Organization Sergeant-at-Arms John Lynch, among many others.
Beware the dreaded Hoboken “right circumstances”. Our Freeholder Romano is right up there w Brian Stack in responsiveness, competency, foresight and leadership.