Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla raised $25,650 in the fourth quarter of 2022 and spent $11,359.79, leaving him with $139,189.41 cash on hand, his January 17th report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC) shows.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Bhalla, who is in his second term as mayor after running unopposed in November 2021, received $2,500 from the company that owns Mulligan’s Pub on December 13th, with a group affiliated with 32BJ SEIU giving the same amount on December 21st.
Additionally, the company that owns the 10th of Willow Bar & Grill wrote a check for $2,000 on December 30th, while the New York Trades Council political action committee donated $2,600 on December 16th – with the Greater NJ Carpenters PAC giving the same amount, on the same day.
Furthermore, the IBEW Local No. 164’s PAC contributed $5,000 on December 29th.
Just under a year ago, the city council voted on raising the municipal donation limit for unions from $500 to $7,200, which would take effect in the event that a campaign finance case against 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco was dismissed.
That dismissal ended up taking place back in August after the case bounced around municipal courts in neighboring municipalities for nearly three years.
For the most part, his expenditures were marginal, with his largest expenditure being a $2,000 to the Brian Stack Civic Association, operated by the Union City mayor and state senator of the 33rd Legislative District on November 10th.
He also gave $300 to the “Leadership That Listens” Board of Education team that he endorsed and ended up sweeping in November, as well as $1,000 to Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano (D-5) – the vice chair of the board who has a June primary opponent in Ron Bautista, a rematch from 2020.
Bhalla isn’t up for re-election again until 2025, though he will inevitably back candidates in the non-partisan November 7th ward council elections.
He has already endorsed 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen for re-election at his campaign kickoff last month, which came shortly after a recall effort failed to gain any serious momentum.