Commissioner Count Wiley and the West New York United team held a protest outside town hall yesterday, making their way over to Las Palmas – where Mayor Felix Roque was hosting a fundraiser – over an offensive cartoon with racial and religious overtones that surfaced last week.
By John Heinis and Katherine Guest
Pastor Ralph Sanchez, Jr., the slate’s campaign manager, used a megaphone to rally the troops. Although the Roque campaign denied any involvement with the flyers last week, Wiley and WNY United commissioner candidate Thomas Leung insisted that the cartoon had the mayor’s fingerprints on it.
Inside Las Palmas, Roque’s running mates Cosmo Cirillo, Susan Colacurcio, Margarita Guzman and Gabriel Rodriguez, along with Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-32) and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) kept a positive tone before the mayor made his speech.
Roque told Hudson County View he was feeling great about the campaign and was unconcerned about Wiley leading a protest – accusing him of dirty campaign tactics.
Colacurcio also addressed the protest, encouraging freedom of speech, and hoping that the Roque and Wiley contingents can work together again someday soon.