It what seems to be a peace gesture to head off another Hudson County political war, Mayor Steven Fulop told the NJ Globe that he voted twice for U.S. Senator Robert Menendez in 2018 – once in the primary and again in the general election.

After dropping out of the race for governor in late 2016, Fulop appeared to have his eye on the U.S. Senate, leading Menendez to believe Fulop may have been hoping Menendez might be forced to vacate the seat due to a federal corruption trial at the time. Fulop has publicly denied any complicity in seeking to unseat Menendez. But a number of people associated with Fulop at the time appeared to believe Fulop would seek the seat.

As it turned out, Menendez was found not guilty, and a statement made on the courthouse steps seemed aimed at Fulop and suggested there might be political retribution down the road.

At the time, Fulop was behind an effort to unseat Tom DeGise as county executive in a political civil war that forced many loyal Democrats to pick sides, and which Fulop, his ally, state Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and then West New York Mayor Felix Rogue lost.

Roque was driven from office by powerful forces aligned with DeGise. Bhalla faces an uphill reelection campaign in the upcoming election that includes a runoff.

Stack – whose powerful voting base makes him a king maker for statewide candidates such as the reelection of Gov. Phil Murphy. Nobody will hold a grudge for long against Stack.

Fulop has since made peace with DeGise, Albio Sires, state Senator, North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, and others who had opposed him in the civil war.

But those close to Menendez said the senator remained angry over Fulop’s alleged backstabbing during the federal trial and is not likely to let that fire cool any time soon – even though Sires, a close ally of Menendez has already endorsed Fulop’s reelection. Amy DeGise, Tom DeGise’s daughter, and the chair of the very influential Hudson County Democratic Organization is running on Fulop’s ticket.

In an exchange of dueling statements, Menendez accused Fulop of undercutting Menendez’s 2018 campaign, and pointed out this was the same year that Fulop “showed his true colors” by trying to unseat Tom DeGise, claiming Fulop has a history of broken promises to people who do not support Fulop’s political ambitions.

In response to this, the Fulop campaign issued a statement of its own.

“In a way Mayor Fulop feels sorry for Senator Menendez — he’s fixated on local politics in Jersey City when he should be focused on critical issues in Washington D.C.,” the statement issued late last month said. “Senator Menendez seems hell bent on forcing his son down the throats of Jersey City voters to expand his own political power. The fact that Rob Menendez Jr. moved to the community only two years ago at his father’s behest and has never been involved in the city before exploring this run for office absolutely reeks of entitlement. This just makes it clearer that local Democrats have made the right decision in supporting Mayor Fulop.”

But the fact that key people like Amy DeGise and Sires are on Fulop’s side suggest that tis recent dust up between Menendez and Fulop may not result Robert Jr. running against Fulop at all.

Most people believe Fulop’s huge financial war chest and his powerful political machine make him an easy winner in his reelection campaign later this year.

While Senator Menendez can easily help his son fund a campaign against Fulop, the lack of the HCDO gives Robert, Jr. almost no political machine to get out the vote for him – even if Robert Jr. felt enthused to get into a fight that would without doubt force close political allies to pick a side.

Fulop clearly doesn’t want an all-out war in Jersey City, nor will Murphy or any of the state legislators, all of whose seats are up for reelection later this year.

This week’s statement by Fulop about voting for Menendez is an olive branch to Menendez, and an attempt if not to heal old wounds, then to keep them from festering in a year when there are so many other issues to contend with.