Source: Roque (Might!) Run for Mayor as WNY Blows Up
Former West New York Mayor Felix Roque is running to once again lead his hometown, a source tells InsiderNJ, in a fast-developing three-way Hudson County hula hoop contest.
Retiring U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8)?
Already in.
Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo.
Same.
Roque is also pawing at the turf and looking to dive into the fray, ready to go all in, a source said.
He’s looking to throw $200k at the race.
Roque later clarified.
“I haven’t announced, but I am taking a look at it and will make a decision in the new year,” the former mayor told InsiderNJ.
Sires is sitting on half a million.
Cirillo and Sires are battling with the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) still fractured in part because of the organization’s efforts to contain Nick Sacco acolyte Joey Muniz.
“Albio told Joey to stay the hell of West New York,” the source told InsiderNJ.
He wants to mess around in North Bergen?
Fine.
But keep out of West New York.
Muniz was undeterred, evidently.
Apparently undeterred by the controversial Muniz, others – not Roque – had reached out to Sacco, possibly to build a fusion ticket and lump Cirillo on board.
But that broke down when Cirillo announced his own ambition for the mayoralty.
That irritated Sires, himself a former long-serving mayor who wants back in the business of local governance.
Hudson looks increasingly acrimonious.
When Cirillo showed up at a recent HCDO event, apparently HCDO Chairman Anthony Vainieri wasn’t very happy about it.
He blew his Stack.
Incidentally, the overshadowing question is where kingmaking local boss state Senator (and Union City Mayor) Brian P. Strack will come down as West New York splinters.
Stack represents West New York, but he also has his own reelection bid to focus on next year and the source said he wants to put up gawdy numbers to scare away the notion that his legislative habitat is anything other than an ongoing imperial encampment.
But he can’t scare away the political winds of West New York.
“Hudson’s on fire and petitions aren’t even in!” the source exulted.
This portends to be a heated race. Mr Sires should be the heavy favorite at this time with the support of the HCDO and 500 G committed to the elections. Mr. Cirilo , Ms Jimenez, and Mrs. Guzman can be very competitive. They have been measuring the pulse of the population of the people of WNY for the past 8 years while Mr Sires has spent 8 terms in Congress away from direct contact with the townsfolk. Mr Cirilo, and Ms Jimenez can be consider protégés of Mayor Sacco who holds strong sway with the County Chairman Mr Vaineri who once upon a time chamfered Mayor Sacco and has allegiance to the Mayor. To add drama to the race, Dr Felix Roque has demonstrated interest in the race. The ex Mayor, Dr Roque is a question mark. If the politician/physician is really serious about putting in the time to campaign and build a strong team , he can be a serious contender and may just squeeze in between a potentially divided ticket that was spearheaded by Mayor Gabriel Rodríguez who stepped aside to grant the ex Congressman Albio Sires an opportunity to run for his old job as the Mayor of West New York. Dr Roque is independently wealthy and claims to be able to spend up to 2,000,000 dollars in he sees light at the end of the tunnel. At this early stage the possibilities are endless and the race is shaping up to be very interesting.
just horrible WNY needs young bloods repeaters will just keep making this town worse. Let the young people take over! time for the has beens to retire