WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND– West New York Mayor and democrat Felix Roque recently endorsed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Kyrillos rather than incumbent Democrat Sen. Robert Menendez for the upcoming Senate election.
Menendez had backed Roque’s opponent over Roque last May in the mayoral election.
N.J. Congressman and former republican Albio Sires released a statement last week in response to Roque’s endorsement, stating, “I was shocked and disappointed to hear that the mayor of West New York, my hometown, has decided to endorse a Republican candidate against Senator Robert Menendez.”
Sires went on to call Roque’s decision “terrible” and said that the Republican party “has nothing in common with the vast majority of West New York residents.” He cited Republican-favored cuts in taxes for the wealthy and for “every important government program that working class families rely on” such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Pell grants.
Sires called Menendez “intelligent and principled” and said that Menendez’s support of Silverio “Sal” Vega in the West New York recall election “is completely irrelevant to the best interests of the people.”
He urged Roque to reconsider the endorsement and said, “If Mayor Roque cannot support [the effort to reelect Menendez], then he should remain neutral and let the people make their own decision, just as they did in his own campaign last May.” –Gennarose Pope