Politics
Trigger Fingers Turn to Twitter Fingers in Hudson Co. Political Showdown
Trigger fingers turned to Twitter fingers, and Hoboken’s Mayor Ravi Bhalla got his trigger finger itchy. “Budgets are easy in the Menendez household when you have endless supplies of gold bars,” tweeted Bhalla, who is also a candidate for Congress. He’s been trading shots with his opponent, the congressional incumbent Robert Menendez Jr., by referencing his father, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, who is currently indicted on charges of bribery, including gold bars.
Budgets are easy in the Menendez household when you have endless supplies of gold bars. https://t.co/3Ddut6kZD8
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) April 4, 2024
The saga began with Menendez Jr.’s critique of Bhalla’s administration, likening its inability to pass a budget to the shortcomings he attributes to House Republicans. “Ravi Bhalla? House Republicans. Inability to do government 101 like pass a budget”
Ravi Bhalla ? House Republicans
— Rob Menendez (@RobMenendez4NJ) April 4, 2024
Inability to do government 101 like pass a budget https://t.co/xgRGdAQjJT
Who is Ravi Bhalla? He is a civil rights lawyer, serving as the 39th Mayor of Hoboken since 2018, as New Jersey’s first Sikh mayor. Prior to becoming mayor, he served on the Hoboken City Council from 2009 to 2018. Bhalla announced his candidacy for Congress in December of 2023.
Robert Menendez Jr., on the other hand, is fighting to maintain his foothold in Congress amidst the controversy surrounding his family. His first term has been overshadowed by his father’s legal troubles, marking this race as a critical juncture in his political career.
This exchange between Bhalla and Menendez Jr. offers a glimpse into the fracturing of the Hudson County political machine.
