U.S. Rep. Albio Sires weighed in on Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Amy DeGise becoming chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, as well as exclaiming that Mayor Felix Roque is finished in West New York come May 2019.Â
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“Well, everybody worked very hard to get Amy elected: this is the year of the woman and we finally have a woman heading the Democratic party of the county. I think she’ll do an outstanding job,” Sires said after discussing President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy at his West New York office.
Also calling her a “go-getter and a proven organizer,” Sires made sure the West New York Democratic Committee delivered on Tuesday: with DeGise securing 50 out of 56 votes from the members who attended the HCDO reorg at Kearny High School one week ago.
Sires, with the aid of many elected leaders in town, decisively won the a WNYDC race, with the slate backed by Roque and state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack only picking up two contested seats.
In hindsight, this is a loss that many now believe spelled the end for Stack’s hopes to become HCDO chair.
Roque supported Stack for chair, which wasn’t surprising given that he had joined the coalition made by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Stack aiming to replace County Executive Tom DeGise, Amy’s father, in June 2019.
With that plan put on ice, Sires said he doesn’t care if Roque decides to seek re-election next year: either way he’s confident that a change is coming.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. I don’t think he knocked on one door in West New York to help Brian Stack or Steve Fulop. I knocked on a lot of doors: I can tell you that the people of West New York do not want Felix Roque the next time around,” Sires stated.
“If he wants to save his money, if he wants to waste his money -Â that’s up to him – but we’re committed to bringing a change to West New York and the change is coming.”
Roque campaign spokesman Pablo Fonseca opted not to stand and trade with Sires, stating that the mayor will be fighting to get the congressman and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) re-elected in November.
“Mayor Roque will continue to focus on the Town of West New York, continuing to drive crime statistics down, stabilize taxes and focus on constituent affairs,†Fonseca told Hudson County View.
“And as he has already been doing, Mayor Roque will work extremely hard to get Sires and Bob Menendez re-elected in the fall.”
Two days after taking the WNYDC from Roque, West New York Stability, a team comprised of Commissioners Cosmo Cirillo, Gabriel Rodriguez and Margarita Guzman, as well as Assembly members Angelica Jimenez, Pedro Mejia (both D-32) and Freeholder Caridad Rodriguez (D-7), hosted a fundraiser prepping an opposition slate for next year.
