Former Hudson County Freeholder Joel Torres has endorsed Dr. Aaron Weiner, the progressive Democrat running as an independent, in the race for his old seat against Democratic incumbent Yraida Aponte-Lipski (D-4).
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
“Hudson County shaped who I am, which is why I want Hudson representatives to show up when it matters and be independent of the old, broken political system,” Torres, also a former board of education president, said in a statement.
“I’m proud to endorse Dr. Aaron Weiner as my successor to this seat, because he’s a progressive Democrat who’ll work for you and no one else. Amidst a housing crisis and an affordability crisis, there’s also a crisis of leadership in county politics and Aaron is the change we need to restore power to the people.”
Weiner, a longtime Jersey City resident, physical therapist, and healthcare advocate, is running on a platform “to reopen Christ Hospital, fix Jersey City’s housing crisis by building real affordable housing on county-owned land, and championing safe, clean, green streets for every county resident.”
Torres, a former president of the Jersey City Board of Education, previously represented District 4 from 2017 to 2021 and was succeeded by Aponte-Lipski.
After Torres voted against renewing the county’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house detainees at the Hudson County Correctional Facility in 2020, he was booted off the county line and did not seek re-election.
That year, the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) selected Aponte-Lipski, the wife of former Jersey City councilman and ward leader Steve Lipski, to run for seat with their backing instead.
The infamous ICE contract with the county jail received a new deal in November 2020 after a 6-3 vote by the board commissioners after nine hours of public comment opposing the move, with Torres, Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), and Commissioner Fanny Cedeno (D-6) voting no.
The county ended up phasing out the contract well before it was set to expire at the end of 2021, but in addition to that seeming punishment for Torres’ opposition to the ICE contract at the time, O’Dea also lost his Vice Chairmanship on the board.
Weiner posits that Torres’ endorsement carries a pointed message: the machine that removed him has not changed.
“Joel Torres stood with this community when it cost him politically, standing against an ICE detention center that the County machine forced through at the last minute,” added Weiner.
“That’s exactly the kind of courage this seat demands. I’m honored to earn his support, because as ICE terrorizes our communities, we need leadership on the Hudson County Board of Commissioners that will actually use their power to protect our neighbors, not trivialize our struggle as ‘ineffective’ or ‘impractical.’ Let’s get it done in November!”
Both Weiner and Torres are a part of the Latino Action Network (LAN).
With the general election set for November 3rd, Weiner has already issued a challenge to Aponte-Lipski for a public debate.
While she didn’t respond to requests for comment, she told the Jersey City Times she would not debate him after he “apparently insulted her” in a previous interview.
Last year, Torres waded into the Jersey City municipal election in offering his endorsement of now-Mayor James Solomon
However, his backing of Weiner goes against “Unity Ticket” between the Democratic establishment and insurgent progressives backed by both Solomon and Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.