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One candidate, a New Jersey assemblywoman, says her mother is getting caught in the crosshairs. The alleged perpetrators say the whole thing was made up.
Angelica Jimenez — who is running for West New York commissioner on one slate — alleges her 78-year-old mother was heckled and harassed by supporters of Albio Sires — who is running for mayor of West New York on an opposing slate — when she went to vote over the weekend.
Jimenez said in an Instagram post they banged on her car window and she was also frightened by a poll worker.
When Jimenez's mother tried to move her car, she scratched the car in front of her and got out of her car because she was concerned she would be hurt, Jimenez said. When Jimenez's mother got out of the car, she fell and hurt herself, Jimenez said.
"I was told by Hudson County officials that it's okay behavior," Jimenez writes. "Is this what my parents left a Communist country for Is this the new normal? Is this acceptable behavior? Is this normal in Hudson County?"
But not so fast, say supporters of Sires. In a post on Facebook, they called Jimenez's tale of the events "entirely false," claiming Jimenez's mother was parked within 100 feet of a polling place with political signs taped to her car. She was asked to move her car and refused, Sires' team said.
An election monitor was called to the scene and told Jimenez's mother to move the car and she again refused, Sires' team said. When she eventually moved the car, she hit another car and attempted to leave the scene, Sires' team said.
Later, Jimenez's mom tripped over a manhole cover when getting out of a vehicle. Volunteers for Sires' slate helped her back to her car and got her water, and they say volunteers for Jimenez's team did nothing to help.
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