Photo courtesy of Dan Israel.
Dan Israel has been a journalist for 11 years and has earned a number of awards from the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists. But he said after witnessing the realities of different Jersey City residents, he’s grown tired of being “an impartial observer.”
Now, Israel has put a pause of his journalistic career and is campaigning in hopes to become Jersey City’s next Ward E councilperson, which will be on the ballot today, Nov. 4. The New Jersey native told Slice of Culture that he wants to keep up the energy he had as a journalist and transform it into a force to be used for the Ward E community.
“So instead of just reporting on what I was seeing with dismay, I decided to flip the script and be the force in local government that I wished to write about,” Israel said in an email interview.
“From addressing the cost of living crisis through the construction of more affordable and workforce housing to redesigning high-risk street corridors to increase street safety and reestablish a Traffic Enforcement Division, I decided to be the aggressively progressive leader in downtown that I wanted to see on the Jersey City City Council.”
“If I’m elected as the next Ward E Councilperson I will never stop fighting to live up to that promise every day. I want to keep up that energy as the journalist who won’t take no for an answer on the City Council. I will act as a full-time councilperson too, fully giving up my career as a reporter to be a public servant for downtown Jersey City.”
Israel is running alongside mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea, a lifelong resident of Jersey City. Israel is in the race against Stacey Lawrence, of Team Mussab Ali; Ryan Baylock, of Team Jim McGreevey; Alexander Hamilton of Team Joyce Watterman; and Eleana Little of Team James Solomon.
In Jersey City, locals will be choosing for mayor, city council representatives, county sheriff, New Jersey state governor and more.
You can read up about the Jersey City candidates here: https://www.sliceofculture.com/tag/jersey-city-mayor-2025-election/.
Israel grew up in a part of Woodbridge called Colonia.
He found his way to Hudson County in 2019 when he joined local staple publications The Hudson Reporter and Bayonne Community News. He first lived in Bayonne, but later moved to downtown Jersey City, which is where he lives today.
“Here is where I now fondly call home, one which I’ve come to love more than my hometown, exemplified by the fact I decided to run for City Council here to shape the future of the city I plan on living in for the rest of my life,” Israel added.
And while he isn’t originally from Jersey City, Israel said that’s what gives him a “unique” experience.
“I don’t take anything here for granted, and want to continue and expand on a number of the perks of living in Jersey City,” he said in a written response.
“From providing more reliable and efficient trains and buses to get around the city more easily, to ensuring that streets and intersections are safe for all modes of transportation, to uplifting and bolstering the arts, I want to protect what makes Jersey City, well, Jersey City!”
Israel’s experience includes a number of local newspapers like Bayonne: Life On The Peninsula Magazine, Hoboken 07030 Magazine, Jersey City Magazine and TAPinto Jersey City, Hoboken and Bayonne. However now, with a pause in his reporting, he’s been able to get involved with groups like the Embankment Coalition, the Friends of Hamilton Park and BikeJC.
The downtown resident announced his candidacy in June. He’s focused his campaign on:
- Enforcing rent control
- Increasing affordable housing
- Improving public safety
- Ensuring greater transparency in City Hall
“I have the relevant knowledge and hands-on experience to truly help build a Jersey City that is more affordable, safer, and more accountable for everybody,” Israel wrote. “Not only have I received accolades for my coverage of City Councils, Zoning and Planning Boards, I’ve already written a resolution passed by this City Council and nine other governing bodies.”
That resolution calls to enforce regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) usage in journalism and protects journalists from AI exploitation. This sparked from a personal incident with Israel, and fellow freelance reporter—and Slice of Culture contributor—Jordan Coll, who were abruptly fired from the Hudson Reporter and Bayonne Community News, only to later find out staff bylines were replaced by fake AI-generated identities.
If elected for Ward E, Israel would be the first elected openly LGBTQ+ Jersey City councilperson.
He has since been endorsed by former Board of Education President and community activist Suzanne Mack; Garden State Equality, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, union Local 245 Jersey City Public Employees, which represents local public-sector employees, and has received candidate distinction from the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense.
“Voters will be getting a package deal: a fresh-faced reporter who knows development like the back of his hand, considers city planning his hobby and has a passion for the inner workings of local government who will also make local history!” he wrote.
“… I am a young, progressive, and LGBTQ+ leader eager to make a change in my community… Even though I only launched my campaign in late June, I have built a movement here in downtown. Team O’Dea feels the wind beneath our sails and we are ready for Nov. 4, because it’s our city, our choice!”
You can read more about his slate by visiting: https://www.billodeajc.com/teamodea/israel and be up to date by seeing his Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/danisraelforjc/.
Polls are open today until 8 p.m. To find your nearest polling location, visit: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.shtml. If you still need to submit your mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at a secure ballot drop box location, which can be found here: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/vote-secure-drop-boxes.shtml, before 8 p.m. today.
If you haven’t received your mail-in ballot, you can visit your nearest polling location and request for a provisional ballot; as long as you’re eligible to vote, your provisional ballot will be counted.
For more Hudson County election resources, information or to see who’s on your ballot, you can visit: https://vote.hcnj.us/.
