New Jersey welcomed its newest congressman Tuesday, as West New York Mayor and former State Assembly Speaker Albio Sires won the two-month unexpired congressional term of Sen. Robert Menendez. He also won the Democratic nomination to run in November to keep the 13th District seat.
“I am just humbled to be the representative of the 13th District,” said Sires. “This is a victory 12 years [in the making] from becoming mayor in 1998 to 2006 and becoming the next representative of the 13th District. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Sires will now face off with the Republican candidate John Guarini in the upcoming November election to retain his new seat in the House of Representatives.
Earlier in the day, Sires came to West New York to cast his own ballot in both the election for the temporary seat and the one for the nomination.
“I’m very excited; I got to vote twice,” he said.
Throughout the day, Sires visited many different locations of the 13th District from Perth Amboy and Elizabeth to Bayonne and Jersey City among others. Perth Amboy was the home of his chief competitor, Mayor Joseph Vas.
“We worked very hard in this election; it’s a big district, a long district, and people have been very supportive,” said Sires.
Friends and supporters were all smiles by 9 p.m. at Jersey City’s Casino-in-the-Park, as the numbers came in, delivering a crushing blow to Sires’ opponent.
Sires’ unofficial total that night had him at 23,492 to Vas’ 9,079.
It was also a victory sweep across the board for Hudson County’s Democrats, as Menendez himself won the nomination to run to keep his current seat in the United States Senate, which was vacated by Jon Corzine after being voted in governor of New Jersey last fall.
Newcomer Willie Flood won the nomination for Hudson County Register.
It’s a celebration Joining Sires at his victory celebration in Jersey City were fellow Hudson County Democrats State Sen. Bernard Kenny; mayors Jeremiah Healy of Jersey City, David Roberts of Hoboken, Richard Turner of Weehawken, and Brian Stack of Union City; as well as the commissioners of West New York and Union City.
“Everyone in this room worked very hard, especially over the last six weeks,” said Healy. “It was very important that the county kept that seat and Albio Sires has done that for us tonight.”
“This was an outstanding victory for Hudson County Democrats and for our candidates Willie Flood, Robert Menendez and Albio Sires,” said Kenny. “We pulled together when we saw there was a challenge and we crushed it, and we’re going to do the same for Bob Menendez as he runs for the Senate.”
Accompanying Sires to Casino-in-the-Park was his wife Adrienne.
“I am extremely excited and very proud,” Adrienne said. “He’s been working for this diligently for the past year and I think it has been a dream of his for some time. For me, this means a new an interesting experience and I am looking forward to that.”
“The people of Hudson County worked so hard to get a victory for Albio Sires, who brought new life and energy to the town of West New York and served for four years as a very successful house speaker,” said Turner, who is also the West New York business administrator. “Not all people in the Congress [have that record.]”
Thanks to all “First of all, thank you very much; this was a hard fought campaign and I can’t be happier [with the results],” said Sires. “I want to thank my wife Adrienne and my daughter Tara, and all of those who supported me.”
He added, “My friends, tonight is the first day of an epic journey, not just for me, but for the 13th District and the state.”
As he now takes the floor at the House of Representatives, Sires vowed once again to clean up Congress and bring control back to members who “put Wall Street before Main Street.”
He spoke about the much needed reform of the No Child Left Behind Act, health care, bringing America’s troops home, and putting an end to “false information, and false ideologies.”
“Most importantly we must protect our homeland,” Sires said. “We are among the greatest targets [in the nation].”
Of course, now if Sires wins in November, he will have to give up his seats in the 33rd District of the Assembly and as Mayor of West New York.
“There is a sadness; there is nothing like being mayor and making life better for the people of the city,” said Sires. “But I intend to be around. West New York has always been my hometown and I intend to stay very much a part of it.”
If Sires wins the November, the West New York Board of Commissioners will be looking for a new member. Then the commissioners will choose a new mayor from among themselves.
Commissioner and County Freeholder Silverio “Sal” Vega has expressed interest in possibly taking on the responsibility, but first a new commissioner to replace Sires would have to be found.
“We want to bring someone in who shares the same philosophies that we do and brings the same quality to the Board of Commissioners,” said Vega.
Vas Defeated and unbowed by his Democratic Primary, Vas called his race an effort to restore Democracy to the Democratic Party.
Although supporters who gathered at the Liberty House in Jersey City for the election results bemoaned the loss, Vas called this “an incredibly positive experience,” that had allowed him to come into contact with “some of the most unbelievable people I have met in my entire life.”
Vas contributed the lopsided loss to North Hudson, where Sires was able to gather votes Sires could not make up elsewhere in the district.
“In Essex, Middlesex, and Union counties we nearly matched our opponent vote for vote, but this election was won in North Hudson,” Vas said.
Campaign staff said Vas had tried to run a positive campaign, but responded with negative ads once Sires launched them first.
Although Vas drew the support of some key Hudson County political people such as Sandra Cunningham, Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop and Bayonne Councilman Anthony Chiappone, he was defeated in Hudson County by a 4 to 1 margin.
“I supported Joe Vas because I think he was sincere,” Chiappone said. “I worked to get the vote out in Bayonne for him, and I believe we were effective in keeping every district close.”
Chiappone and other supporters who gathered at Liberty House for the results of the election said Vas had set an example for them, putting up a good fight that would allow other candidates independent of the Hudson County Democratic Organization to model their campaigns after.
“Too long people have voted all the way with column A,” Chiappone said. “The Vas campaign proved that people are willing to vote for other candidates.”
Chiappone said Vas had provided voters with a true choice in the primary, something that has been rare in the past.
Vas in his turn thanked his supporters including Tom Bartolli, of Jersey City and Council-elect Gary LaPelusa, of Bayonne.
“This was an election of ideas,” Vas said. “And my campaign opened the door to the 13th District as well as the rest of the state, and allowed people to know where the candidates in this election stood on the issues.”
Vas said the struggle to make Democracy work “doesn’t end with this primary, but must go on.”
Jessica Rosero can be reached at jrosero@hudsonreporter.com Al Sullivan can be reached atasullivan@hudsonreporter.com