Senate President Steve Sweeney won’t weigh in on the race for Hudson County Democratic Chairman, nor will he endorse State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) for the position.
“Come on, I don’t live there, I can’t vote for him,” Sweeney said at a press conference on Thursday. “I love Brian. I hope he’s successful. He’s my friend. He’s been my friend. You know, Brian stack was the first senator to endorse me for senate president, so Brian and I have a very, very special relationship that goes back him a long way.”
Despite his role as a Democratic leader in the State Senate, Sweeney said it was not his place to weigh in on a county race, bringing up Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones as an example of another friend on whose election he could not weigh in on.
“You don’t do those things in each county,” Sweeney said. “Listen, LeRoy Jones is my dear friend. Do I support him? I don’t have a say in that one.”
Sweeney’s refusal to back Stack because its not his place to become involved in the politics of another county is at odds with the Senate President’s role in a race for Union County Democratic Chairman earlier this year. Sweeney issued a written endorsement of State Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) for county chairman 2.5 hours after Jerry Green resigned the post.
The race for Hudson’s Democratic chairmanship is the next field of combat in a feud between Hudson County Democrats.
On one side are influential mayors aligned with Stack, including mayors Steve Fulop of Jersey City, Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken and Felix Roque of West New York.
On the other are those aligned Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, whose daughter, Amy DeGise, a member of Jersey City’s Board of Education, and State Sen. The county executive allies include State Sen. Nick Sacco and Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.
Sweeney was equally unwilling to weigh in on his support for those on the DeGise side.
“Who?” Sweeney asked, adding that he was joking. “Come one, get me out of Hudson County politics.”