HOBOKEN AND BEYOND — Hoboken City Councilman Ravi Bhalla announced yesterday that he will stay in the race for State Assembly in the 33rd Legislative District, with the full support of his longtime ally, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. When Bhalla filed his petitions on April 1, he had indicated that he had not yet made a final decision as to whether he would run.
Bhalla was up against two candidates on the slate of State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack. But one of those candidates, Hoboken Housing Authority Director Carmelo Garcia, has faced a legal challenge that may keep him off the ballot. He is appealing the challenge.
Bhalla responded to a followup question by confirming that he will run as a Democrat. Thus, he will be on the ballot for the June primary.
“I have spent the last three weeks engaging residents of the 33rd District in conversations about the issues that concern them, and look forward to continuing those conversations throughout the campaign.” Bhalla said.
The district includes Union City, Weehawken, and parts of Jersey City.
Bhalla said he has budgeted approximately $250,000 for his campaign and is prepared for “a highly competitive race among the five eligible candidates for the two Assembly positions. Next week, Councilman Bhalla intends to open campaign offices in the 33rd Legislative District and announce the hiring of a full staff of campaign.”
For more, see this weekend’s newspaper.