The growing alliance of Brian Stack and Larry Wainstein in North Bergen

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that’s especially the case in politically combative Hudson County.

Larry Wainstein has joined forces with Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack for a children’s holiday toy giveaway in North Bergen, a sign that the two may be planning an alliance for next year’s legislative races.

Seeking to become the first Hispanic mayor in a town with a 72% Hispanic population, Wainstein challenged North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco three times in May non-partisan elections. The results were essentially the same: a 65%- 35% loss in 2015, a 68%- 32% loss in 2019, and a 71%- 29% loss in 2023.

But Wainstein’s ability to claim roughly 30% of the vote in North Bergen makes him an attractive candidate for Stack, who might be looking to oust a Sacco ally, Assemblyman Julio Marenco (D-North Bergen), when he seeks re-election next year.

Stack’s vote-producing prowess in Union City, West New York, and Weehawken – along with Wainstein’s potential to get at least one-third of the vote in North Bergen – could make the combination unbeatable.

Wainstein, a wealthy businessman, is also a self-funder: he spent about $600,000 of his own money in 2023 and a similar amount in 2019.

The toy giveaway is a collaboration between the Brian P. Stack Civic Association and the Larry Wainstein Family Foundation.

North Bergen became important for Stack after legislative redistricting put North Bergen into the same legislative district as Union City.  That forced Sacco out of the Senate after thirty years and now has Stack aggressively working Sacco’s hometown.