Playing the heavy in the developing 2013 Jersey City mayor's race, Assemblyman Sean Connors (D-33) lashed out at downtown Councilman Steve Fulop, charging him with hypocrisy for pursuing establishment support and then calling it insignificant when Fulop failed to secure it for himself.

"The statement Steve Fulop released yesterday in response to my endorsement of Mayor Healy’s re-election campaign reinforced my reasons why I could not in good conscience support Mr. Fulop’s mayoral campaign," said Connors. "Mr. Fulop once again displayed his lack of maturity and inability to cultivate healthy relationships with other leaders for the betterment of Jersey City.”

Connors tweaked Fulop's alliance with Essex Freeholder/Newark Council President Donald Payne, Jr., whom Fulop backed for the vacant 10th Congressional seat in the June Democratic Primary. 

The freshman assemblyman objected specifically to the following Fulop statement: "The only endorsment that counts to me is the residents of Jersey City. These career politicians that endorsed Healy today have 15 jobs between them so of course they want the status quo, which Healy represents."

Connors blanched.

"I find it hypocritical that Mr. Fulop had no problem receiving an endorsement from a congressional candidate in June that held two publicly elected offices and now in September blasts Mayor Healy for receiving endorsements from lifelong public servants," the assemblyman said. "It is becoming more obvious that Steve Fulop wants to have it both ways.

"The elected officials that endorsed Mayor Healy were dedicated civil servants prior to running for office," he added. "All of them passed civil service or licensing tests and met the necessary requirements and training.  The fact that Mr. Fulop is demonizing civil servants such as police officers, firefighters and teachers for wanting to make a difference in our community by running for public office is un-American. 

"I think it’s great that Steve Fulop took 14 months off from his $632,575-a-year Wall Street job to run for mayor but he should not be trying to prevent others with lesser means from running for public office. Mr. Fulop cannot relate to the struggling working-class residents of Jersey City that cannot afford the same luxury of quitting their jobs for over a year to run for mayor. The one-percenters like Steve Fulop and Mitt Romney need to stop trying to control everything.”