WEST NEW YORK – While indicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez twists, Speaker Vincent Prieto writhes, and Assemblywoman Marlene Caride (D-34) nurses the hurt of  not being named LG by Democrat Phil Murphy, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kim Guadagno came to Prieto’s district to embrace another Cuban American as her ticket mate amid salsa horn blasts.

This was Woodcliff Mayor Carlos Rendo’s time, and Guadagno’s – down by 27 points – Hail Mary play for the support of a community that right now looks less than galvanized on the Democratic side, with many of its leaders in various pretzled postures of discomfort. Guadagno spoke to Rendo’s American story, relying on him to provide the details, but emphasizing the basic plotline of a Cuban born man who came to Union City with his family at age 2 to flee a communist regime, become a lawyer, marry, have three children, become a mayor and live the American Dream.

Rendo’s story, she said, contrasts sharply with that of her rival Murphy, who made money on Wall Street on the backs of  working people, and now turns around as a candidate for governor and tells them that he has their backs.

“You can ask anyone what the number one problem is and they will tell you property taxes,” said Guadagno, jabbing throughout at the Democratic candidate for Governor, who will have to raise taxes as governor to pay for Guadagno said she estimates is a billion dollars more in new government spending.

Guadagno and Rendo and his family stood side by side on the second floor of Rumba Cubana, with a view of New York City over the shoulders of the Murphy  backers standing on the sidewalk outside brandishing Murphy-Oliver signs. Hudson County Republican Committee Chairman Jose Arango introduced the history-making GOP ticket to a roomful of supporters, including state Senator Sam Thompson, Bergen County Republican Organization Chairman Paul DiGaetano, Warren County GOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt, Passaic County GOP Chairman John Traier, Bergen GOP diehard Frank Valenzuela, Somerset Republican Committeemember Janice Fields, Fairleigh Dickinson University Prof. Fernando Alonso, and others.

“I am so honored to stand with Kim Guadagno,” said Rendo, son of an immigrant janitor. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank her for the opportunity to join her in this journey.”

Like Guadagno, the mayor – who is the first Latino and first man to be nominated for the Office of LG in the State of New Jersey by a major party – slapped away at Murphy as an out-of-touch, Goldman Sachs-grounded Jon Corzine second act. He also swatted at Democratic LG candidate Sheila Oliver for taking what Rendo cited as an unauthorized trip to Cuba where he denounced the Castro regime for harboring a cop killer.