33rd Legislative District Assembly candidates Tony Hector and Frank Alonso are taking aim at U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez after an endorsement gaffe from Saturday that came to light this week.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Bob Menendez is heading to federal prison for 11 years, but he still controls Hudson County politics through loyal henchmen like Brian Stack, County Executive Craig Guy, the County Administrator and childhood friend of Menendez, Abe Anton, and his son Rob, who embarrassingly claimed that he was ‘neutral’ in the 33rd District Assembly race this week,” Hector and Alonso said in a joint statement.
“Let us make this very clear: we would NEVER, under any circumstances accept the support of anyone associated with the corrupt Menendez/Stack political machine, and we are running for Assembly to end their reign of terror and restore power to the people of Hudson County.”
On Tuesday, Rep. Menendez did an interview with the New Jersey Globe, where he said he would stay out of the Democratic June 10th Assembly primary battles in LD-31, 32, and 33 in the midst of a Hudson County civil war.
However, two-and-a-half hours after the story was initially published, an update revealed that Menendez had endorsed Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez and Larry Wainstein in LD-33, the candidates backed by state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack.
He also threw his support behind Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis for Hudson County sheriff at the headquarters grand opening for Wainstein and Rodriguez in North Bergen.
Rep. Menendez’s office did not return an email seeking comment on Friday.
“Stack doesn’t care about what’s right for the people, only about what gives him more power. We are not afraid to expose Stack’s corruption and we will never back down from this fight,” Hector and Alonso continued.
“A new day is dawning in New Jersey, and now is the time for the people of Hudson County to rise up and throw off the shackles of the Menendez/Stack political machine once and for all by voting for the Democrats for Change team in June.”
In response, Stack indicated this was all misdirection from the candidates supported by North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco.
“As everyone knows, these accusations are ridiculous. We expect more false and inflammatory comments,” he declared in his own statement.
“It’s a shame that while I’m out working around the clock for residents, these clowns are in a back room drafting silly press releases. Hopefully the Sacco machine gets ushered out with Boss Sacco’s hand picked Assembly ticket.”
LD-33 includes Union City, North Bergen, Guttenberg, West New York, Weehawken, and Secaucus, and Rodriguez, Wainstein, Hector, and Alonso are the only Democratic candidates seeking two Assembly seats.