All nine members of the Hudson County Board of Commissioners are backing U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) for a second term well ahead of a contested primary on June 4th, 2024.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Congressman Menendez has been an incredible partner to the County of Hudson and we need him to continue working hard every day in Washington to deliver the federal resources our working class communities need,” said Commissioner Caridad Rodriguez (D-7), who represents West New York, Weehawken, and Guttenberg.
“As a Latina leader in Hudson County, I believe in the power of representation and know how important it is that we have Hispanic representation in Congress. Congressman Rob Menendez is the right choice to keep representing the people of Hudson County.”
Joining her in the endorsement are Board of Commissioner Chair Anthony Romano (D-5), also the deputy public safety director in Hoboken, as well as Commissioners Kenny Kopacz (D-1), Bill O’Dea (D-2), also a candidate for Jersey City mayor, Jerry Walker (D-3), Yraida Aponte-Lipski (D-4), Fanny Cedeno (D-6), Bob Baselice (D-8), and Al Cifelli (D-9).
Menendez, first elected in 2022, already has the support of Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Anthony Vainieri, all three local state senators: Angela McKnight (D-31), Raj Mukherji (D-32, both of whom are senator-elects), and Brian Stack (D-32), and Hudson County Executive-elect Craig Guy.
He has two declared challengers thus far: Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Kyle Jasey, the son of outgoing Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27).
While the 8th District is largely a Hudson County seat, it also includes Newark and Elizabeth. Mayor Ras Baraka and the Union County Democratic Organization have also signed on for Menendez’s re-election bid.
Besides Bhalla, the only prominent local official not to back Menendez is Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, whose feud with U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) goes back two decades when he challenged him for his congressional seat.
Fulop recently said that in light of Senator Menendez’s federal corruption charges, which includes acting as a foreign agent to Egypt, the Democratic party should move on from Rob Menendez, though he also said he doesn’t plan on endorsing a challenger any time soon.
Bhalla and Fulop are the only two Hudson County mayors who have called on Senator Menendez to resign, with Fulop calling on the U.S. Senate to expel him on light of the foreign agent charges revealed in a superseding indictment.
So much for his 3rd paycheck. Lets see how soon Ravi will fire Stick from his BS Assistant Public Safety Director Low Show Job…
Taking bets…
LMAOOOO hilarious! The Romano knife twist is the perfect ending to Ravi Bhalla’s political “career.”
Apart from Fullop, who owes him for his wife’s dispensary, none of the Hudson County guard like Ravi – including former Mayor Zimmer!
Hoboken is also tired of his antics and none of the puppets he backed – save Phil Cohen who bought Fox Hill votes – won in city council.
Where does Ravi go from here? Will John Allen hire him as his driver? Will the feds ever prosecute him? Will his best buddy Goo Goo Bear face charges once Bobby Gold Bars gets clipped?