HOBOKEN—Zoning Board member Michael DeFusco has thrown his hat into the race for the City Council 1st Ward seat, challenging longtime incumbent Councilwoman Theresa Castellano.
All six ward seats on the nine-member council are up for election this November. In Hoboken, some of the races have kicked off early.
DeFusco was first appointed to the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2011 and was reappointed to the board for four year term this past January.
He is taking on a formidable challenge, assuming Castellano decides to run for re-election. Castellano has represented the 1st Ward on the Council since 1995, longer than any other current member.
“I like Terry, but if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got,” said DeFusco in a letter declaring his candidacy. “Our neighborhoods need an attentive and proactive councilperson that will work with the city to improve them. Potholes, crumbling curbs and trash have proliferated and there’s been no movement by our councilwoman to address the situation.”
If elected, DeFusco said he would fight against PATH service cuts enacted by the Port Authority and push for new projects “that encourage commerce, arts and entertainment.”
Castellano was not immediately available for comment.
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DeFusco declares for 1st Ward Council race in Hoboken
