Disgruntled Quintana aide backs Hugin

A former aide to Newark Councilman Louis Quintana, a Democrat, backed Bob Hugin on Friday.

Nelson “Butchie” Nieves announced his endorsement of Hugin on the Eric Dawson Talk Radio show earlier this morning.

“Bob Hugin is offering us a fresh opportunity to get things done in Washington, where career politicians like Bob Menendez have ignored the needs of the public and rendered government ineffective through their self-interest and partisan bickering,” Nieves said. “Government is broken, and the only way to fix it is to elect people willing to reach across party aisles to find bipartisan solutions”

Quintana fired Nieves in 2016, and the two have been at odds since. Nieves sued his former boss to get his job back, and he was president of a Latino parade group that publicized harassment allegations against Newark Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Quiles.

Nieves said he would run against Quitana as an independent in 2018 but never did.

“I find it amazing because as president of the parade, he prays for Bob Menendez,” Quitana said. “I don’t know maybe he had a change of heart, but I’m with Bob menendez and I don’t speak with Mr. Nieves on any terms whatsoever. We live in a country where people have a right to choice of what they want.”

Editor’s Note: This article was updated with comment from Quitana at 11:56 a.m.