Now’s The Time: Read Up On What Jersey City Mayoral Candidates Said, State Election Resources And More

Photo by Adrienne J. Romero / SOC Images.

Time is ticking—it’s time to cast your vote.

Voters around New Jersey will have their final chance to cast their ballots for who they want for state governor, local mayor, city council and more this coming Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In Hudson County, different positions are on the table depending on what town and district you’re in; for sample ballots, you can click here and find your town and district. If you reside in Jersey City, it’s time to choose a new mayor and city council members.

The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce hosted one of the last mayoral forums on Oct. 7 at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, specifically focusing on addressing concerns of local business owners. In attendance were just four of the seven candidates: local Police Officer Christina Freeman, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea, former Jersey City Board of Education President Mussab Ali and former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey. Council President Joyce Watterman was listed as a speaker, but was absent for unknown reasons; Ward E Councilman James Soloman and resident Kalki Jayne-Rose were not listed for the event.

The candidates have shared their stories with Slice of Culture and why they’re campaigning for the seat, which is currently held by Mayor Steve Fulop, who lost his bid to become the next state governor.

It’ll be the first time since 2013 that the city will have a new mayor, and the first time since 2018 that New Jersey will replace Gov. Phil Murphy, who has served the max two-terms.

Early voting is going on right now in New Jersey until Sunday, Nov. 2. To plan out voting early, you can visit https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-early-voting.shtml and navigate to “Hudson County” where it will list early voting locations. For Hudson County election resources, information or to see who’s on your ballot, you can visit: https://vote.hcnj.us/.

A number of questions were chosen to recap below to ensure brevity of what each candidate’s vision for Jersey City looks like. For the full recap, you can listen to or watch the livestream.

Police Response Times Need Improvement

Shooting incidents, shooting victims and homicides have all increased compared to 2024 and 2023, according to Jersey City’s Division of Police.

In regard to local business owners’ safety, candidates were asked about improving emergency response times.

Question: Police response times have increased to as long as two hours in one documented case. Potential causes are staffing shortages, an overwhelmed 911 system, resource allocation and traffic. Many small business owners are concerned about their own safety at work. How will you improve these response times?

Better Supporting Local Business Owners And Entrepreneurs

Last year, Jersey City was named one of the best cities to open a local business among major cities with a population under 500,000, according to a SoFi analysis. And while that may be reflective in the city’s Downtown area, other sections of the town—like Greenville and parts of West Side and Bergen-Lafayette—don’t seem to share the same sentiment as they’re often riddled with empty storefronts or a revolving door of owners.

Question: How do we fix the permitting process? How do we become a more business-friendly city? And how do we particularly help small businesses and entrepreneurs?

Addressing The City’s Money Problem

Jersey City has long been slammed by many for its budget approvals, and residing in a state that issues one of the highest taxes in the country doesn’t help.

Question: How do we fund the city while keeping people and businesses from being pushed out?

Development: A Double-Edged Sword

Rutgers-Newark researchers released a report in April analyzing the impact of gentrification in three mid-size New Jersey cities: Newark, Paterson and Jersey City.

The verdict? Jersey City is fully gentrified, Newark is in transition and Paterson is “on a different path.”

“Jersey City is the ‘Bedroom City,’ a fully gentrified place where population growth and higher prices are associated with its proximity to jobs across the Hudson River in New York City. People moving into and around Jersey City, where development is booming, are more affluent and highly educated than in Paterson or Newark,” the report read.

Question: Many candidates have raised issues with ongoing development policies with the Pompidou [Museum] and the transformation of Journal Square serving as poster children. By the same token, it is these same developments that bring in a lot of economic growth and outside money via tourism and shopping. So what does healthy development look like for you?

City Infrastructure Needs Attention Too

Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the state, and it continues to work off of an aging infrastructure system in water, power, sewers and roadways. As the Jersey City MUA continues its sewer improvement project, many emphasize that the need for equal attention across all wards must be enforced.

Question: How do you work and improve infrastructure stability and cost effectiveness as we grow while making sure that all neighborhoods receive proper attention?

Investing In The Community = Investing In Education

Infinity Institute, a public school located in Downtown, recently scored the highest out of 708 New Jersey Schools, according to a new U.S. News & World Report. While the school, which requires a special assessment to get in, has been ranked several times throughout the country, it doesn’t address the struggles and disparities that other Jersey City schools experience.

Question: One of the Chamber’s goals is for residents to qualify for good local jobs. However, feedback is that our schools are not preparing them adequately. How can we work with our system to achieve greater success?

Collaborating With Different Perspectives

At the time of this writing, the New Jersey’s gubernatorial race—between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli—is only a slim difference, according to several different polls. The percentages fluctuate per poll, but all of them show that Sherrill holds an overall lead, but only by 6%, according to New Jersey Globe.

In Jersey City, different polls have shown different leads.

Question: Jersey City’s next administration is likely to face a divided government with no-single slate holding all the council seats and potentially a Republican governor. How do you plan to collaborate effectively with those who may not share your political platform or priorities? And what strategies will you use to prevent gridlock while still delivering results for businesses and residents?