Team Guttenberg Announces Candidates for Mayor and Council Election

GUTTENBERG, N.J. — Team Guttenberg announced their slate for the upcoming Mayor and Council Primary Election at a packed Fundraiser/Campaign Kickoff Event last night. Councilman Wayne Zitt will lead Team Guttenberg’s ticket as its candidate for Mayor and the slate will also include incumbent Councilmembers John Habermann and Monica Fundora as well as Candidate for Council Richard Delafuente. The event took place at Il Vaporetto restaurant in West New York and was attended by well over 150 residents and numerous Democratic elected officials including U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, State Senator Nicholas Sacco, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez, Mayor Gerald Drasheff and many more.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have worked directly under the tutelage of Mayor Drasheff, who has been an incredible advocate for our town,” said Candidate for Mayor Wayne Zitt. “I look forward to continuing to fight for Guttenberg residents and to work with nearby municipalities to provide and enhance the services our residents deserve while keeping property taxes under control. My priority is and will always be the people of Guttenberg and I am excited to begin this journey with them.”

Councilman Zitt is seeking to replace longtime Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, who announced earlier this week that he will not be seeking reelection and will retire after his term ends in January 2018. After being appointed to the Council in 2015 Zitt won re-election last year and since that time has become deeply involved in all aspects of town government. A lifelong Hudson County resident, Wayne works as a Special Advisor to Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and formerly served as Chief of Staff to Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez. He has a deep understanding of local government and a strong vision for the future of Guttenberg, which he will be articulating over the course of the coming months leading up to the Primary Election.

“Serving as Mayor of Guttenberg has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Mayor Gerald Drasheff. “I have full confidence in Wayne and the rest of the council to lead Guttenberg in the right direction; this will be a seamless transition due to their experience, dedication and passion. The residents of Guttenberg will be in the best hands.”

“North Bergen and Guttenberg have always had a special relationship,” said Mayor Nicholas J. Sacco, who also represents Guttenberg as a State Senator. “We are constantly working on our shared services agreement to better town services in a fiscally responsible way that protects taxpayers of both communities. I am excited to support Wayne Zitt and his Council team and look forward to working with the new administration and continue strengthening the bond between the two municipalities.”

Dozens of local elected officials showed their support at last night’s event after the Hudson County Democratic Organization endorsed Team Guttenberg. The event was attended by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, North Bergen Mayor and State Senator Nicholas J. Sacco, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, North Bergen Commissioner Hugo Cabrera, West New York Commissioners Cosmo Cirillo, Susan Colacurcio, Margarita Guzman, Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari, NHCAC Chairman Joseph M. Muniz, former Mayor of West New York Sal Vega, among others.