WEST NEW YORK – Gabe Rodriguez arrived to cast his vote Tuesday afternoon just as it began to rain.

It really was a miserable day for a mid-May commission election.

Rodriguez, who heads the slate opposing Mayor Felix Roque, was upbeat despite the weather.

As he entered the polling place at the appropriately-named Albio Sires elementary school on Hudson Avenue, a supporter said, “There goes the next mayor of West New York.”

Well, maybe.

After voting, Rodriguez said his slate has “run on a platform of better accessibility.” He said Roque is inaccessible and that under his reign, the city has deteriorated. Rodriguez spoke of the need to repair broken streets, make police more visible and increase parking.

Earlier in the day, Roque bravely proclaimed that he expects to win the race by a 3-1 margin.

Rodriguez belittled that forecast, saying, “He has made a lot of bold predictions in the past. That doesn’t mean it’s going to become reality.”