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FALLOUT: Delgado Campaign Denounces Recent Attacks as a “Campaign Stunt”

Press Release 9/24/12—

PERTH AMBOY – Mayoral candidate Billy Delgado denounced a recent press conference blaming him for derogatory remarks about Mayor Wilda Diaz as a “campaign stunt” aimed at disguising her administrative failures as chief executive of Perth Amboy. In a recent private email exchange Delgado campaign aide James Devine made disparaging remarks to Mayor Diaz questioning her intelligence and ability to lead the city. Devine served as a political consultant to Mayor Diaz in her 2008 campaign to unseat Joseph Vas and their political relationship ended bitterly.

“I was unaware of the private email exchange between Devine and Mayor Diaz that occurred in late August,” said Delgado. “I learned of it recently when a supporter of the mayor informed us of her plans to use them at a press conference. I do not condone the strong language used by Mr. Devine in his emails to the mayor. They do not reflect my views or that of my campaign.”

Delgado continued: “The mayor’s efforts to link me to the emails are an indication of her desperation as long-time political supporters desert her on a daily basis. The mayor needs to address the real issues of Perth Amboy including the stalled redevelopment, her efforts to privatize the school system, and her support of Governor Christie and his policies that undermine the economic well being of the residents of our city.

“The absurd aspect of this story is that the whole women’s press conference was orchestrated by a man – State Senator Joseph Vitale – for his own selfish political reasons,” said Thomas Hudanish, Delgado campaign manager. “Vitale wants to be a Middlesex County king maker and he is experimenting with Perth Amboy. Prior to this election he could not find Perth Amboy on a map.”

“Mayor Wilda Diaz took what has been a long hard struggle for women’s equality and trivialized it by equating it to a petty squabble between her and a former campaign aide. She has done a great disservice to the women of Perth Amboy and New Jersey,” Hudanish continued.

Ana Mascenik, a City Council candidate on the Delgado ticket, questioned how much the press conference cost the residents of Perth Amboy. “Police personnel were used to close off the area in front of City Hall while a delegation of elected officials from outside Perth Amboy were assembled to lecture the residents on women’s rights issues. This is a waste of funds and times and diverts from the real issues in this campaign. The real issue is the fact that Mayor Diaz has failed to lead. Everything else is political theater orchestrated by the mayor to distract everyone from her dismal record.

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