North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco will back former Board of Education Trustee Miguel “Tony” Hector and Hudson County Director and Superintendent of Weights and Measures Frank Alonso in the 33rd District Assembly race, the team announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“My campaign for state Assembly is going to be about exposing Brian Stack’s bossism, corruption, waste and endless lust for political power, to protect the taxpayers of North Bergen, Union City, West New York, Gutenberg and Weehawken. We need independent Democrats who will fight for the people, not Boss Stack,” Hector said in a statement.
A North Hudson developer and landlord, Hector also accused Stack of trying to “take over” North Bergen by smearing Sacco and punishing taxpayers in the process.
“The first thing Stack did when he became our senator last year was cut state aid to North Bergen by $10 million dollars. Stack would destroy our town and anyone who stands in his way, but we are not going to let him get away with it.”
Hector declared his candidacy at the North Bergen Democratic Municipal Committee meeting this evening, also making it clear that he would be running with Alonso.
Like Sacco, they will both be supporting Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, Alonso’s boss, for re-election and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop for governor.
Alonso, a Union City resident, received his superintendent title this year and has worked for the Office of Weights and Measures, which is responsible for enforcing pricing rules and responding to price-gouging complaint, since 2012.
The Assembly candidates are entering the race after incumbent Julio Marenco announced he would not seek re-election, as HCV first reported.
“Stack’s government is a disgraceful waste machine and we are going to expose all of the millions of state tax dollars he is squandering on political patronage jobs and contracts, instead of delivering for the people of Union City,” said Alonso.
Of course this latest development means that Sacco and state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack will tussle on Tonnelle and Bergenline Avenues, along with the rest of North Hudson and Secaucus, one more time.
Stack and the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) are backing Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez and longtime Sacco opponent Larry Wainstein (he unsuccessfully ran against him for mayor in 2015, 2019, and 2023).
While that ticket will be heavily favored, largely due to Stack’s loyal voter base in Union City, the other side is making it clear that they are going to make this a slugfest.
Additionally, Alonso was a founding member of the Union City Concerned Citizens Group, political opponents of Stack, while Wainstein was a founding member of the North Bergen Concerned Citizens Group, political opponents of Sacco, back in 2012.
13 years later, they will be on battling each other to represent Hudson County’s 33rd Legislative District in Trenton.
“Now, Stack has recruited Larry Wainstein to run for Assembly. We all know who that man is — how he really lives in a mansion in Franklin Lakes, how he does not care about the best interest of the people of North Hudson. We will never let a man like him win,” Hector added.
“Tony Hector has the courage, determination and resources to stand up to Brian Stack and win this election, along with the strong team we are putting into place for the Primary Election. We are going to do everything we can to support him,” exclaimed Sacco.
The Democratic primary is on June 10th, where Stack and the HCDO are also backing Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis for sheriff and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-10) for governor.
“Tony Hector is just a pawn in the Boss Sacco political machine that has taken advantage of government for years. Tony Hector’s candidacy is a meager attempt by Sacco and his cronies to maintain power and continue to personally enrich themselves,” Stack responded.
“Unfortunately, this election season will be muddied by my opponents. I anticipate they’ll sink to new lows. I do think that voters will see through their desperate attempts to cling to power and reject their messaging by electing Gabe and Larry. Voters will not fall prey to the lies of the old guard Sacco Machine and the million dollar candidates that they expect to do their bidding.”