Mayor-elect Ravi Bhalla: Terrorist flyer was 'hurtful'

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Mayor-elect Ravi Bhalla will become Hoboken's first Sikh mayor after being targeted by racist flyers. The City Council member topped five other candidates on Tuesday.

He will succeed Dawn Zimmer, who decided not to seek a third term in office. Bhalla had been the subject of anonymously distributed flyers that labeled him a terrorist.

The flyers featured a picture of Bhalla with the message "Don't let TERRORISM take over our Town!"

"For that to happen was beyond the pale. Unfortunately, that's something I'm familiar with. It's obviously very hurtful but that is not what Hoboken is about," Bhalla said.

There is an active police investigation into the flyers.

"I'm as American as apple pie. I played Little League baseball. I'm a die-hard Yankees fan. My mom was a soccer mom," Bhalla said.

The Indian-American politician said he plans on prioritizing infrastructure, commuting and open space.

"I want to be an on-the-ground mayor focusing on holding the line on taxes and upgrading our infrastructure into the 21st Century," Bhalla said.