Assemblyman-elect Larry Wainstein (D-North Bergen) is supporting Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) for re-election, putting him in league with Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian Stack and Hudson County Executive/Democratic Chairman Craig Guy, who both endorsed Menendez yesterday.
Wainstein’s endorsement does not come as a shock; the soon-to-be assemblyman is closely allied with Stack, who supported him in his Assembly campaign last year against a slate aligned with North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. In his endorsement of Menendez, Wainstein called out his hometown’s mayor by name.
“After the Sacco Political Machine betrayed the people of North Bergen by embracing Donald Trump and his MAGA philosophies, we can’t leave anything to chance,” Wainstein said. “North Bergen needs a Congressman who will always stand up for the people of our town, not pander to Donald Trump like Sacco and his cronies do.” (Sacco endorsed Jack Ciattarelli and other Republicans last year.)
Menendez may face another primary challenge from Hudson County’s anti-machine bloc this year, but it’s looking like he’ll have relatively unified support from the Hudson Democratic organization if he does. Also supporting Menendez are Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, the Hudson Democratic endorsee for governor last year, and six other Hudson County mayors – Sacco, unsurprisingly, not among them.
