Phil Meisner, candidate for mayor of Englewood in the Democratic Primary, today slapped at his opponent, Michael Wildes, trying to brand his rival as a pal of President Donald J. Trump, even as the former mayor trumpeted disdain for the attack.

“Michael Wildes claims to be a Democrat, but maintains a proud, public friendship with Donald Trump—despite the Trump administration’s unrelenting attacks on the values that define our community and that Englewood Democrats hold dear,” Meisner said.

“This is an affront to Englewood’s voters, and our campaign will not shy away from telling the truth about Michael Wildes,” the candidate added. “Michael Wildes believes he can impress voters with photos of himself with prominent politicians. Topping the list of Michael Wildes’ celebrity friends is Donald Trump. The fact that he thinks he can dazzle or fool voters from seeing through this hypocrisy or scare them by enflaming a false sense of crisis in our community, is just one more example of the poor judgment and lack of moral integrity that disqualifies him from serving as Englewood’s mayor.”

Wildes Campaign Spokesman Phil Swibinski swatted back at Meisner.

“Michael Wildes has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s harmful policies and has used his stature as one of the country’s leading immigration law experts to fight back against Trump’s plans for a border wall, his Muslim ban and his failure to protect DACA recipients,” Swibinski said.

“It is incredibly disappointing to see Phil Meisner’s campaign engage in false, negative attacks on Michael Wildes, a lifelong Democrat who is proud of his record of supporting some of the most significant figures in the party’s history from Barack Obama to Ted Kennedy to Hillary Clinton,” he added. “It’s also deeply troubling to see Meisner continually fail to recognize the financial crisis Englewood is facing, because without admitting that there is a problem nothing will be solved. If Meisner thinks that $6.5 million in tax increases in the last two years isn’t a crisis then he’s clearly out of touch with the residents of Englewood who need relief, not excuses. That attitude is exactly why Englewood voters will elect Michael Wildes as their next Mayor.”

The two Democrats are running to succeed retiring Mayor Frank Huttle.

Both have their weaknesses, a Bergen source told InsiderNJ.

Meisner’s connection to Huttle hurts him with people wanting change – especially those whom the sitting mayor has alienated.  But he’s seen as likeable. Wildes’ record as mayor was controversial, and included tax increases.  Then there’s the fact that Wildes positioned himself to run against Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37) in a primary before having to drop race back in 2007.