Jersey City Mayoral Election: A Battle for the City’s Future
Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey is seeking a political comeback in the Jersey City mayoral election, which has been narrowed down to a one-on-one runoff against City Council member James Solomon. The election, which will take place on Tuesday, has focused heavily on affordability, particularly the high cost of housing in the city.
McGreevey, who resigned as governor in 2004 due to controversy surrounding his decision to hire a man he said was his lover as the state’s homeland security adviser, is running for public office for the first time in over two decades. He launched his mayoral campaign with a social media video titled “Second chances are central to who I am.” McGreevey has pledged to be a one-term mayor and has touted his experience as an elected leader, including his time as governor and mayor of suburban Woodbridge Township.
Affordability and Fiscal Responsibility
Solomon, who has been a city council member since 2017, has denounced McGreevey’s scandal-stained exit from the governor’s office as “politics of the past.” He has vowed to take on developers and special interests, invest in public safety, and work with the independent board of education to improve the city’s schools. Solomon has also pledged to build on legislation he passed as a council member, including banning rent-hiking algorithms and ensuring tenants have a right to legal counsel.
McGreevey has said that his immediate concern is an estimated $150 million budget hole that could hike property taxes 30% if not fixed. He has devoted his term to making sure “we’re on a road of fiscal sanity and to make sure that Jersey City’s working families aren’t driven out by the downtown crowd.” McGreevey has spent about $2.5 million on his campaign, while Solomon has spent about $1.3 million.
A New Chapter for Jersey City
Both candidates have vowed to stand up to President Donald Trump, whose administration is suing to end Jersey City’s so-called sanctuary city protections for immigrants. McGreevey was born in Jersey City and returned to live there in 2015. He is currently the executive director of the Jersey City-based New Jersey Reentry Corporation, a non-profit that helps formerly incarcerated people and returning veterans find work and housing.
Solomon grew up in nearby Millburn, has a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and was an aide to former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. He moved to Jersey City in 2013, is married, and has three daughters. In 2015, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but is now in full remission.
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