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Wainstien Enters Assembly Race with Stack’s Backing

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Larry Wainstien, a longtime Mayor Nick Sacco nemesis, has officially announced his candidacy for Assemblyman. After a series of unsuccessful bids for mayor of North Bergen, this race may prove to be different as State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack has endorsed his campaign.

Stack’s dominance in the newly redrawn district—one that effectively shifted the balance of power—has upended previous agreements. While some in the Sacco camp argue that Sacco wasn’t pushed out, but rather that it had been negotiated that the retiring State Senator wanted Julio Marenco to hold the Assembly seat, this understanding appears to have unraveled. Stack, who had initially agreed to support Marenco, has now thrown his considerable weight behind Wainstien, dramatically altering the dynamics of the race.

Marenco, a loyal Sacco ally who began as an intern and worked his way up to North Bergen Board of Education president, commissioner on the township’s Board of Commissioners, and finally Assemblyman, now faces an uphill battle. With Stack’s endorsement, Wainstien has gone from perennial underdog to likely frontrunner.

Stack’s backing almost guarantees a victory for Wainstien, significantly undermining the Sacco camp’s grip on the district. Or does it? Wainstien hasn’t secured a major victory in North Bergen, aside from a handful of county committee seats over the years. But for the betting man, Assemblyman Wainstien seems like the favorite here.