Union City Mayor Brian Stack brings grassroot politics to Rider’s campus

By Samantha Clark

With a continued effort to connect students to state leaders, the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics welcomed Brian Stack, state senator and mayor of Union City, on March 30.

The Institute’s director, Micah Rasmussen, hosted the event in Lynch Adler Hall to provide a front row look at strong leadership in action. 

“There are not many people in New Jersey whose endorsement can move thousands of votes,” Rasmussen said. “I can count them on my fingers … and one of them is in this room.”

Stack took to the podium and began breaking   down his extensive journey along the political ladder, which began in his early teenage years. 

Growing up in Union City, among the most densely populated cities in the country, Stack was raised on the basis of maintaining a strong drive to succeed. With his father as a Port Authority train conductor and his mother as a full-time superintendent, the importance of work ethic was ingrained from early childhood.

At the age of 14, Stack began volunteering for former Union City Mayor William Musto at city hall, and later became his part-time assistant at 17 years old. 

“I organized my schedule so that I could be out of high school by 12:30 every day, and I couldn’t wait to get to city hall,” Stack said. “I’d be there until 5, 6 at night.”

At 19, he ran for the Union City Board of Education, but lost the race by 2,000 votes due to the “political machine” that paid another candidate with the same last name to run against Stack, subsequently pulling away his votes.

Stack then became extremely versed in city hall, employed by almost every department in the municipal government, including public works, public safety and the health department. 

“I think it’s important to be elected on a municipal level before getting elected on a state level. Whether it be in the county or a municipal council, that’s the best education someone could get,” Stack said.

In 1997, the Commissioner of Parks was retiring, and Stack sought out the position due to the lack of playgrounds since his childhood. Though the state promised Stack the position, they sent someone to run against him. 

At the time, New Jersey law stated that, if somebody vacated office before Labor Day weekend, candidates were required to run that following November in a special election. However, Union City did not hold a special election until the next year, putting Stack in a position to wearily campaign for seven straight months.

“I beat them in that election, 7,471 [votes] to 5,260 [votes],” Stack said. “Talk about David and Goliath, we came in and took on a machine and beat them.”

In 2000, Stack was elected as both Union City mayor and the county freeholder, a title unique to New Jersey that included elected officials on county legislative boards, which later became a county commissioner seat. 

Stack held the seat until 2004, when he was then elected for the Assembly. In 2008, he continued his campaign, this time for a Senate seat, and just like before, the county’s political machine that was put in place to come after Stack never failed to falter. 

“They published stuff saying I was a drug dealer, they went after my family, they tried to get my mom and dad evicted from the building where they lived,” Stack said. “It was a vicious campaign.”

Nevertheless, Stack was elected state senator that year, becoming a dual officeholder. He continues to serve in both roles to this day, becoming Union City’s longest-serving mayor with 25 years of leadership.

As mayor, Stack is a leader that stands for the people, he said, expressing the importance of connection to Rider students through his tangible examples. Whether it be a “Breakfast with the Mayor” event, or his open door policy at city hall, constituents are always encouraged to speak with him or simply say hello. 

“I like to be in touch with the people. I like to keep my finger on the pulse, to know what’s going on and what’s on people’s minds,” Stack said. “When you show people that you care, that you listen to what their problems are, people appreciate that.”

Bringing a leader to a campus that focuses on doing the people’s work and connecting with them was important to Rasmussen, as it is these political virtues that will take students far, he said.

Senior political science major Billy Malone agreed with this sentiment, viewing the opportunity to create formal connections with guest speakers as helpful for engagement and future endeavors. 

“[These events] are so important because it shows our Rider community exactly who is out there beyond campus,” Malone said. 

With plans to run for reelection on May 12, Stack will campaign unopposed, continuing his long-running seat in office. 

Stack said, “I love being the mayor, I love being a senator and I love delivering for the people.”