Roque could be enfants perdus in Hudson

If the Hudson County warette breaks into a war, West New York Mayor Felix Roque could be the first guy sent into battle.  He’s up for re-election in May 2019 and the outcome of that fight might determine where West New York sits in a contested primary a month later.

One commissioner who ran on the Roque slate, in 2015 Cosmo Cirillo, is reportedly interested in becoming the next mayor.

Roque was one of four mayors to support a move to replace DeGise, but on Sunday most of the West New York political establishment went in a different direction.  Three of the other four city commissioners endorsed DeGise, including Cirillo.  So did Rep. Albio Sires, a former West New York mayor, Freeholder Caridad Rodriguez, and Assemblywoman Anjelica Jimenez.

Like the rest of Hudson County, West New York has an interesting political history.  In 1993, then-outsider Sires led a movement to recall six-term Mayor Anthony DeFino.  Voters voted to recall him from office by a 4,266 to 3,774 vote margin, but then immediately re-elected DeFino by a vote of 4,302 to 4,087.   Two years later, DeFino retired and Sires succeeded him as mayor.

Editor’s Note: Enfants perdus means soliders on a dangerous post or mission.