Editorial: After GOP Shift, Cabrera Is Sacco’s Last Man Standing

Four years ago, I wrote that the fight to succeed Mayor Nick Sacco would likely come down to Hugo Cabrera or Anthony Vainieri. Today, that assessment still holds, but the field has shifted, and the mayor’s latest political move may have permanently reshaped North Bergen’s future.

At his 40th annual Mayor’s Ball last week, lifelong Democrat Sacco publicly endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor. He did not stop there. He also backed GOP candidates for Assembly in LD-33 and sheriff, signaling a full-ticket defection at a time when his longtime rival, State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, is leading the Democratic establishment behind Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill.

To understand this move, one has to acknowledge Sacco’s mounting desperation. Since redistricting in 2022 forced him out of the State Senate, Stack has solidified control over the Hudson County Democratic Organization. In North Bergen, where Sacco once reigned as both mayor and senator, the political machine has begun to falter.

Ciattarelli is not just a guest at Sacco’s event. He is the mayor’s last real play for political relevance. By aligning with Ciattarelli and the GOP slate, Sacco is betting that he can bring in a new army of voters to secure one more mayoral victory, or at least shape the field in his favor.

Still, endorsing the entire Republican slate is a bad judgment call.

With over 18,000 registered Democrats and fewer than 3,000 Republicans, the math is not unfavorable. Even if Sacco sees a short-term boost, the long-term cost is clear: alienating the loyalists around him and weakening their future viability in a Democratic town.

Vainieri denied mayoral ambitions back in 2021, but now, after embracing the Republican ticket despite once chairing the Hudson County Democrats, it seems he has solidified that decision.

Meanwhile, Cabrera has stayed the course, continuing to represent Sacco’s team while remaining aligned with the Democratic Party (somewhat). As others chase short-term alliances with Ciattarelli, Cabrera appears to be playing the long game. If the baton is to be passed, he may be the only one left with enough credibility to carry it within the Sacco ecosystem.