Photo by Adrienne J. Romero / SOC Images.
The future of Jersey City is in your hands, and all it takes is your one vote on Nov. 4, 2025.
The talk of a new mayor has been slowly churning within the city after current Mayor Steve Fulop announced his decision to step down from his three terms to pursue the New Jersey state governor’s seat, which Gov. Phil Murphy currently holds.
Former state Gov. Jim McGreevey and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea were the first to announce their Jersey City mayoral campaign in late 2023, while fellow candidates Council President Joyce Watterman, former Board of Education President Mussab Ali and Ward E Councilman James Solomon joined the race in 2024. In exclusive interviews with Slice of Culture, they all envisioned one thing: a better Jersey City.
Last week, all of the candidates—except for Watterman who was unable to attend due to an unspecified scheduling conflict—gathered in Narra Collective for a “Jersey City Mayoral Candidate Forum,” hosted by online community group Jersey City Mamas. The candidates spoke directly to local parents and focused on topics including education, housing and affordability and how residents can hold them accountable, if they become mayor.
To envision what each candidate’s “better Jersey City” looks like, here’s a snapshot of their answers. For a full transcript of the forum, you can click here.
Jersey City Moms, another online community group, has had a live interview series so far with O’Dea and Solomon. They’ll keep the conversation going in their own Town Hall event with all of the candidates on June 5. For more information, you can click here.
Keeping Families And Caregivers In Mind
There are roughly 123,132 families living in Jersey City, according to the 2019-2023 Census.
Francesca Larson, the moderator of the panel, started the forum with a question on behalf of parents and caregivers, emphasizing, “We wanna make sure that this community [parents and caregivers] is represented as part of the policy making.”
Question: What’s your approach to policymaking that actively considers and reduces the burden on families and caregivers? How will you ensure that your administration uses every issue through the lens of how it affects those holding their families together?
Leading In A Time Of Uncertainty
From federal cuts to education, nonprofits, Medicaid and more, communities have expressed their recent stresses. According to a report by Harvard Kennedy School, just 15% of Americans feel the country is heading in the “right direction.”
Question: How will your administration meet this moment of instability, of uncertainty? And if you were mayor right now, what would you be saying and what would you be doing?
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The Housing And Affordability Crisis
Jersey City is the second most populated city in New Jersey. But with a growing population also means a growing gap within housing and affordability.
According to Regional Plan Association (RPA), “39% of all households are burdened by housing costs, meaning more than 30% of annual income goes toward rent or mortgage payments. Lower-income households are also disproportionately affected, with 60% falling into this category.”
Question: Assuming no additional funding from state or federal resources, what specific actual steps will you take as mayor to address Jersey City’s housing affordability crisis? Please detail the policies you would implement, the timeline for these initiatives and how you would ensure accountability and measurable outcomes right there.
No Temporary Fixes For Education, We Need Long-Term
While a recent study named New Jersey as the No. 1 place for education in the U.S., it’s hard to say if that’s reflective within Jersey City.
In a January article, Slice of Culture reported that William L. Dickinson High School ranked in the bottom 50% in the school district and ranked 17,560th out of the 17,655 high schools in terms of graduation rate. But aside from those numbers, students at schools like Dickinson and Snyder felt a lack of care.
Question: If elected mayor, what is your long-term plan? Not just for temporary fixes, but for real lasting change over the next decade to make Jersey City Schools excellent. Specifically, how will you ensure budget transparency and accountability? How will you build a productive, solutions-focused relationship with the Board of Education? How will you guarantee that all students, including those with special needs, have the access to the resources and opportunities they deserve and that are equal to all other students? And finally, how will you personally lead on this issue instead of passing responsibility off to others?
Why They Think You Should Vote For Them
For more information on the upcoming election and to ensure you’re registered to vote, you can visit the Hudson County Elections Office here.
Below, you can also find the link to each of their campaigns:
- Bill O’Dea: https://www.billodeajc.com/
- Jim McGreevey: https://jim2025.com/
- Joyce Watterman: https://www.instagram.com/joyceforjc/
- Mussab Ali: https://www.ali2025.com/
- James Solomon: https://solomonforjc.com/
