Hudson Democratic county chairman endorses Fulop for governor in 2025

If Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop runs for governor in 2025, he’ll have the support of the new Hudson County Democratic chairman, Anthony Vainieri.

Vainieri  announced his support of Fulop for Governor on Wednesday night at a party fundraiser, becoming the first county chair in the state to publicly endorse in a primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy that is less than three years away.

“It’s about time Hudson County has a governor that we could call our own,” Vainieri said in video captured by Hudson TV.  “Mayor, when you’re announced, I’m going to be right by your side, and take you all the way to the statehouse.”

Vainieri is advocating for the return of the governorship to Hudson County since A. Harry Moore left office in January 1941.  (That doesn’t include Jon Corzine, who lived in Hoboken while serving as governor.)

“We need a governor that knows Hudson County Streets.  We need a governor, those Hudson County residents.  What we need is a governor knows municipalities some of them don’t know how to run a municipality.  They never did,” said Vainieri, who is also the chairman of the Hudson County Board of Commissioners.  “Mayor Fulop runs the second largest city in the state of New Jersey.  He knows what the city needs, and we’re going to back him.”

“I promise him and I give him my support if he goes where with them and I’m taking everybody with me,” Vainieri said.

North Bergen Mayor/State Sen. Nicholas Sacco and Craig Guy, who is expected  to run for county executive next year, also publicly declared their support for Fulop.

“Our goal is to put a governor from Hudson County in Trenton,” said Sacco.

But two other speakers, retiring Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) and his likely successor, Robert J. Menendez, didn’t address the fledgling governor’s race in their remarks.  Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack had a planning board meeting and did not attend the fundraiser.

In his own remarks, Fulop made no reference to his gubernatorial ambition and instead spoke of unity in the party.

“There is truth to the voice of Hudson County being relevant throughout New Jersey and the only way that happens is if we are together and working cohesively,” Fulop said.  “For a long time, we’ve really spoken about it, but our actions didn’t really speak to what we were saying with regards to being together and unified.”

He also saluted Vainieri, who became county chairman last month after Amy DeGise declined to seek re-election and focus on her new post as a councilwoman in Jersey City.

“I really feel optimistic for the first time as long as I’ve been mayor with Chairman Vainieri and the work that he’s doing on the ground to include everybody.  But it’s really more important than the people up here on the stage,” stated Fulop.  “It’s really about all of you working together to move Hudson County forward and looking forward to the great work that Chairman Vainieri is doing.”

The unambiguous endorsements from Vainieri, Sacco and Guy come at a time when Fulop has stepped up his own involvement in local campaigns outside Hudson County through a super PAC allied with him, Coalition for Progress.

The event was honored Sires, who is ending a sixteen-year stint in Congress – but likely returning to public office next year as a candidate for mayor of West New York.

Attendees included at least three other potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates: Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.