Murphy to endorse Sires in West New York

Gov. Phil Murphy is taking sides in the non-partisan race municipal election in West New York, endorsing Albio Sires, a former nine-term congressman who wants his old job as mayor back.

Murphy, Democratic State Chairman LeRoy Jones, Jr., and popular State Sen. Brian P. Stack will join Sires and his four running mates at a rally in West New York tomorrow morning.

Sires, a former Assembly Speaker who served as mayor for eleven years, retired from Congress after the 2022 election and wants to return to town hall.

He faces a slate headed by Commissioner Cosmo Cirillo in a contest that effectively pits Sires v. Cirillo for mayor.  The winners of the five town commissioner seats – that’s the actual office Sires is seeking – will pick the new mayor.  It’s possible that Sires and Cirillo, a three-term incumbent, will both win.

Running on Sires’ slate are incumbent Victor Barrera, Board of Education President Adam Parkinson, school board member Marielka Diaz, and Marcos Arroyo, a Republican who ran against Rep. Robert J. Menendez (D-Jersey City) last year.

Murphy is popular in West New York, winning more than 74% of the vote there in his 2021 re-election campaign.