“The Day They Tried to Silence Me Was the Day I Found My Voice.” An Op-Ed

Hudson County Truth Media has reached out and requested for comments in regard this topic, in which an OP-ED was provided:

Op-Ed: by Private Citizen and Political Candidate for the New Jersey State Assembly, Marco D Navarro

Over the past few months, many have asked me to clarify my position regarding Senator and Mayor Brian Stack. Let me make this absolutely clear.

I have always given credit where it is due, and that does not change today. Brian Stack has dedicated his life to public service. Under his administration, Union City has become a clean, vibrant, and thriving community. Infrastructure has improved, schools have been built and modernized, and the city is undeniably well-managed. I acknowledge his tireless work ethic, he campaigns with unmatched energy, remains available to his constituents year-round, and has built an impressive record of civic engagement. For those achievements, he deserves recognition.

However, my issue is not with the public image he has created, it’s with what happens behind the scenes. I have heard firsthand accounts and witnessed behavior that deeply concerns me. I’ve spoken with city employees, administrators, and even volunteers who have described an atmosphere of fear, fear of being “yelled at”, fear of retaliation, fear of losing their positions if they displease Brian. No one should live in fear of a phone call from an elected official. That is not leadership; that is intimidation.

And let’s also be honest, Brian Stack campaigns harder than anyone, even when he’s not on the ballot. Politics is his entire livelihood. Unlike many of us who have careers and professional experience outside of governance, this is all he has ever known. Before holding public office, he had only one job in his life. For him, losing an election isn’t just a political setback; it would mean losing his only source of income. That is why he fights so aggressively to maintain power, because without it, there’s nothing else to fall back on.

Those of us who hold real jobs and view public office as public service see things differently. We believe leadership should be about serving the people, not protecting personal power. If he truly embodied the spirit of public service, he would step aside and allow others with newer, modern, and forward-thinking ideas to take Union City to the next level. Holding both the positions of Mayor and State Senator indefinitely is not leadership, it’s control. That kind of political hoarding feeds ego, not progress. When someone clings to power this way, it stops being democracy and starts looking like the behavior of someone who cannot let go of control.

One of the biggest problems in Union City is that when anyone criticizes the mayor, even strictly as a political figure, he struggles to separate his public office from his role as an employer. Politics and the workplace are treated as one and the same, and political loyalty is expected even in professional environments. I believe that is completely wrong and unethical. Work is work, and politics is politics. The two must remain separate. As difficult as that may be for some, it is a necessary standard for good governance and fair employment.

Many people ask why I criticize Brian Stack politically if my current candidacy is in a different district. The answer is simple: my issues with him began long before I ran anywhere else. I first faced political disapproval from him when I dared to step up for a vacant county position, eager to continue serving the public in a new capacity. Being new to politics, I did not realize that in Hudson County there is an unwritten rule that you must “ask permission” from Brian Stack before running for any office, even when you are not running against him.

To me, that was outrageous. No one should have to seek anyone’s approval to participate in democracy. I expected support as a first responder who had already devoted years to public service, but instead I witnessed the darker side of the Hudson County political machine. That experience opened my eyes and shaped my criticism long before my Bergen County campaign. And because I still work, and serve within Hudson County’s political orbit, his inability to separate workplace conduct from political control continues to push me to speak out and motivates me even more to run for office with a platform centered on term limits.

If there were ever a poster example of why New Jersey needs term limits, Brian Stack’s decades in power and simultaneous grip dual offices, a grip of the judiciary, and decades of controversies and liabilities, would be it. Fresh leadership and new ideas can’t rise when one person treats public office like a lifetime entitlement.

Throughout my campaign, I have remained committed to keeping my public service and my political journey completely separate from my professional responsibilities. When I am on the clock, I perform my duties as expected, with professionalism and respect. But when I clock out, I am a private citizen, free to speak my mind, engage in political discourse, and stand up for what I believe in. Unfortunately, Mayor Stack’s ego does not allow him to observe that same ethical boundary. Just because someone works for a public entity or a local government does not mean that the elected officials in charge are immune from criticism when they have earned it.

I was raised to never bully others, but I was also raised to never allow myself to be bullied. I will not “kiss the ring,” I will not seek permission to run for office, and I will not be silenced for exercising my constitutional right to free speech. And those who expect me to back down or disappear from the political landscape may be surprised at what the future holds for District 33 within the next 2 years, because I have no intention of stepping aside when leadership in our community is needed most.

The law is clear, public employees and citizens do not lose their First Amendment rights simply because they work for or live in a city governed by a powerful figure. Disagreeing with a politician is not disloyalty; it’s democracy in action.

My issue with Brian Stack is about principle, not power, not politics. It’s about standing firm on moral and ethical ground, speaking up for those who cannot, and challenging a culture of fear that has no place in public service.

This is not about winning or losing. It’s about standing up for what’s right, even when it’s difficult. I will continue to do so, not only for myself, but for every city worker, volunteer, or citizen who has ever felt they couldn’t speak up.

We need leaders who encourage dialogue, not obedience, who value honesty over control. That is why I speak out. That is why I stand my ground.

I hope my words inspire other municipal employees to find their voice, stand tall as private citizens, and speak their truth without fear, knowing that courage is contagious and that no one should ever be silenced for doing what is right.

— Marco D. Navarro

Candidate for New Jersey State Assembly, 37th Legislative District

Disclaimer:

This statement and all comments contained within it are made solely in my capacity as a private citizen and as a political candidate. These views are not made, issued, or expressed in my official duties as a public employee, nor in any official capacity related to any elected or appointed board on which I serve. Nothing in this statement reflects the positions, opinions, or viewpoints of any government agency, employer, board, or entity. All speech herein is made in my personal and political capacity only, as protected by the First Amendment.