Joseph Vas

65% of the registered voters in the 13th district live in Hudson County, where Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, the Mayor of West New York, has the support of the powerful Hudson County Democratic machine; Middlesex County, where Assemblyman/Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas lives, makes up 13% of the district. 16% is in Essex and 6% in Union. In the 2004, 80% of the votes cast in the Democratic primary for Congress came from Hudson County, while only 4% came from Middlesex. Essex County Democrats say they expect their organization line to go to Sires. To become competitive, Vas will need to win the line in Union County (aka the endorsement of State Senator Raymond Lesniak) and will need to hope that Sires' Hudson County base becomes diluted by a multitude of other candidates.

Honorable Joseph Vas Announces Campaign For Democratic Nomination To Represent 13th Congressional District
"A New Vision for America’s Future"

PERTH AMBOY – Today, Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas, who serves as Assemblyman in the 19th State Legislative District, formally announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 13th Congressional District of New Jersey. Vas made his announcement and kicked off his campaign at four different locations spanning the congressional district – Perth Amboy, Newark, Jersey City, and Elizabeth.

Among the many questions on Jon Corzine's plate: will he call a Special Election for Bob Menendez's 13th district House seat? Corzine alone can decide if he'll let the seat stay vacant until after the November election or order a March primary and May election to fill the vacancy. Albio Sires wants the seat and would likely prefer to go to Washington early rather than spend a year as an ex-Speaker watching Joe Roberts run the Assembly -- so would the West New York politicians who the two jobs Sires now holds. One Democratic strategist suggests that Corzine won't want a primary unless Sires can clear the field himself by edging Assemblyman Joseph Vas, the Mayor of Perth Amboy, out of the race.