Hoboken 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher formally kicked off her re-election bid at the Urban CoalHouse last night, drawing support from a few dozen supporters and three of her elected colleagues.
“She found out how this city actually works because she spends so much time studying the zoning book, studying the ins and outs of our laws, and this is the councilperson that ran eight years ago on a platform of inclusion – inclusion for everybody,” exclaimed 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco, who ran on then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s ticket with Fisher in 2015.
“More voices matter and that could never be more important than today when we have a divided political system, a system where voices are becoming less important, where elected officials are becoming more important. But, elected officials that listen to you, listen to you, reflect your voices, and make sure that they’re heard every week at the city council and City Hall.”
4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos thanked DeFusco for his service since he won’t be running in the non-partisan November 7th races before explaining that he and Fisher didn’t know each other back in 2016, the first year she was on the council.
He recalled that at the time, he was fighting to have a bike lane on Jackson Street removed and that Fisher asked if they could take a look at it together, which they ultimately did and she ended up supporting the cause even though it wasn’t in her ward.
“We walked and looked at it together, and the next council meeting, Tiffanie Fisher had my back. We went from not knowing each other to having each other’s backs,” he said, indicating that this council needs independent voices that can evaluate situations on a case by case basis.
6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino heaped praise on her good friend, calling her “fearless,” “courageous,” “fair,” “honest,” and “an amazing woman” who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty for the greater good in Hoboken.
Fisher explained that she has tried to bring a voice of inclusion and collaboration to the council, supporting pedestrian safety upgrades, upgrading the housing authority, getting the $176 million Hoboken Terminal project off he ground, and aiming to solve housing insecurity issues.
She also said this upcoming election is critical since it will be the difference of Mayor Ravi Bhalla having a greater majority on the council or not.
“This is a really important election. This is an election where Hoboken’s democracy is actually at risk, right? I’m constantly battling this administration for more transparency on every issue and if we lose seats on the city council, we actually are gonna lose that transparency forever,” Fisher claimed.
“So whoever you’re talking to, make transparency an issue in this election, whatever ward you’re in, demand it from every single council person, and make sure that we have the right city council that wants to work together and will always put Hoboken first and Hoboken always.”
Fisher currently has a declared challenger in Marla Decker, an attorney that has the support of Team Bhalla, who has a campaign launch scheduled for next month.