Ravi Bhalla wins Hoboken mayoral election

New Delhi: Ravinder Bhalla on Tuesday became the first ever Sikh mayor of New Jersey’s Hoboken city in a closely contested mayoral battle.

Bhalla was endorsed by current Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who in a surprising decision announced not to run for re-election in June.

He is the first Sikh to hold elected office in New Jersey.

“Thank you Hoboken. I look forward to being your Mayor!,” Bhalla tweeted.

“Thank you for having faith in me, for having faith in our community, faith in our state, and faith in our country; this is what America is all about,” he told his supporters after winning the elections.

“We’ve been through a bruising campaign but now is the time we come together and see who we can work with to bring this city forward,” he said.