Emerging from the wreckage of Election Day, State Senator (and North Bergen Mayor) Nicholas Sacco, said only time can heal the political wounds in Hudson County.
Known for his blunt talk and his executive ability to convincingly say "no" in a roomful of beseeching voices, the 32nd district senator, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, said the civil war between Assemblyman (and Union City Mayor) Brian P. Stack and the Hudson County Democratic Organization never had to happen.
"If Stack would have simply waited for (State Senator) Bernie Kenny to retire, there would have been one ticket," said Sacco, who enjoys close ties to the organization. "I think the reality now is we all have to work together and for the people of New Jersey.
As Stack’s candidates took advantage of opposition inertia, particularly in the 31st district, Sacco fell back on his base in North Bergen to defend his turf when the war hit high gear in the days leading up to June 5th.
He wasn’t afraid he’d lose, Sacco said, just covering home base. First elected to the Senate in 1994, this time he ended up smashing his opponent, Sean Connors, earning 84% of the vote in the victory and helping to keep the balance of power in the hands of the organization.
"I felt," said Sacco, "that it was going to end up the way it did."
