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The 2017 Hoboken Mayoral Election, a contest that Saw Sikh Council President Ravi Bhalla best a field of six challengers that included council members Michael DeFusco and Jennifer Giattino, as well as Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano.
Bhalla, an ally of Hudson County Democratic Organization frenemy and two term Hoboken Mayor, Dawn Zimmer, was endorsed by the mayor—in doing so receiving her support, and political place outside of the core of the HCDO.
In addition to and resulting from this, Councilman Bhalla Campaigned on pushing for an increase in the ammount open space, not raising taxes, and working to solve Hoboken's flooding problem Highlighted by Huricane Sandy
It shoud be noted that during the last week of the campaign, doctored fliers began circulating attacking Bhalla with the message "Don't let TERRORISM take over our town!" above a picture of him wearing a turban. This racist case boosted sympathy for Bhalla, and remains unsolved.
In his win, Bhalla would become the first Sikh mayor of New Jersey, and the First turbaned Sikh to become mayor anywhere in the United States, representing a major step forward in the visibility of the United State's diverse peoples.
- https://www.nj.com/hudson/2017/11/bhalla_bests_defusco_to_win_hoboken_mayoral_race.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/nyregion/hoboken-sikh-mayor-ravi-bhalla.html
- https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/more-than-three-years-later-racist-flyers-in-edison-hoboken-remain-cold-cases/
- Data Obtained from Hudson County Board of Elections and Shapefile by Harvard's @vest_team, Twitter/X.com
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