Hoboken Elects 1st Sikh Mayor; Hate Flyers Don’t Stop Bhalla

HOBOKEN, NJ — Despite a last-minute, high-visibility “hate flyer” smear campaign that depicted him as a “terrorist,” Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla emerged victorious in the race for the city’s coveted mayoral position on Tuesday.

According to the Hudson County Clerk’s Office, Bhalla garnered 4,781 votes, about 34 percent of the total ballots cast for Hoboken mayor. It was a narrow victory over the second-place candidate, Mike DeFusco, who got 4,116 votes (about 29 percent).

• See related article: Hoboken Election Results 2017 (Mayor, Council, BOE)

Bhalla’s victory took place just days after bigoted and potentially illegal flyers started appearing in Hoboken that identified him as a "terrorist" who might "cost Hoboken taxpayers millions."

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The flyers inspired an immediate response from Bhalla, who called them "an opportunity to affirm to each other and our children the value of living in a diverse community."

• See related article: Ugly Flyer Smears Hoboken Mayor Candidate As 'Terrorist'
• See related article: Hoboken Cops: Bhalla Smear Flyer Was Doctored, 2 People Sought

DeFusco said that the flyers – which state that they were "paid for by Team DeFusco For Hoboken" – were "racist and disgusting." He denied any connection between his campaign and the flyers, and said that he plans to demand an investigation with the Hoboken Police Department and the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to "determine who intentionally misrepresented" his campaign.

• See related article: Hoboken Mayor Candidate Blasts 'Fake News,' Smear Campaign

Immediately after the flyers started to appear in Hoboken, local community members and residents began speaking out about the incident, emphasizing that the bigoted political jingoism on the flyers doesn't represent the city they live in.

Following the appearance of the flyers, residents throughout the city began speaking out and insisting that the bigoted jingoism didn’t represent Hoboken. Many pleaded with their neighbors to ignore the last-minute political stunt.

• See related article: Hoboken Community Says ‘Let's Rise Above Hateful Election Flyers’

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Photo: Ravi Bhalla For Mayor