City Councilmember James Solomon won the Dec. 2 Jersey City runoff mayoral election, defeating former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey more than two decades after he resigned from the position in a scandal, according to The New York Times.
The original election took place Nov. 4, but neither candidate received more than 50% of the votes, triggering a runoff. On Tuesday night, however, Solomon bested McGreevey with 68% of the votes.
“Tonight is a win for Jersey City against the corrupt political machine,” said Solomon in his victory speech. “The victory is about more than policies and programs; it’s about people.”
The Democratic candidate, Solomon, 41, ran on the assurance of giving residents a pause on the increase of commercial growth over the past 20 years, with a promise to “stand up against big developers,” the Times reported.
“This is just the beginning, and together, we will create a Jersey City as good as its people,” he said. Solomon has been on the city council in Jersey City since 2017 and in the initial election, he was one of seven candidates competing for votes. His platform of affordability echoes those of many politicians around the country, who wish to address the rising costs of living in America. “Now the mission is clear, and the work begins tonight,” Solomon said in his victory speech. “And the work we have to do is making Jersey City affordable. So I say tonight, an affordable Jersey City starts now.”
The former governor, who resigned in 2004 over two sex scandals, had backing from other Democrats, spent two years campaigning for the election and raised over $5 million.
After his defeat, McGreevey said, “I want to say, from my heart, I congratulate Councilman — now Mayor-elect — James Solomon.”
The Dec. 2 election saw low voter turnout, with only 64,540 out of the 291,000 Jersey City residents voting.
A census report found that 17% of Jersey City residents live in poverty, and around 40% are foreign-born.
New Jersey Working Families State Director Antoinette Miles said in a statement, “Election Day is not the finish line, it’s the starting line. The NJ Working Families Party is ready to get to work with James Solomon to deliver on the promises of a more affordable Jersey City. The Working Families wave in Hudson County is just beginning.”
Many in the community trust Solomon to be the change in Jersey City.
Dennis Trainor, CWA District 1 Vice President, said, “James Solomon’s vision is for a Jersey City that works for everyone. His integrity, his grassroots campaign, and his proven record of fighting for working people stand in stark contrast to the establishment politics of his opponent.”
– With reporting from the Associated Press.