Photo by Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Jersey City’s Ward D means home to Patrick Ambrossi.
It’s where he grew up. It’s where he went to school. It’s where he made change happen in the community and, in the future, it’s also where he wants to raise his own family. Now, this coming Nov. 4, Ambrossi is asking Jersey City to elect him as the next Ward D councilman in the upcoming general election where Jersey City’s mayoral and council seats are up for grabs.
“For me [Ward D] means everything, and to be able to represent Ward D, it would just mean the world because we’ve already done the work, we’ve already seen progress in the things that we’ve advocated for,” Ambrossi said while standing in the newly-renovated Mosquito Park—or Leonard J. Gordon Park—which his advocacy helped push for.
“It would be an honor of a lifetime to be able to serve the people of Ward D at City Hall and [make] sure that your interests are being represented.”
To be able to vote on Nov. 4, you must be a registered voter by Tuesday, Oct. 14. You can check your status by clicking here or register in person at the Hudson County Superintendent’s Office, located at Hudson County Plaza, 257 Cornelison Avenue, 4th Floor in Jersey City.
Something More For His Hometown
Ambrossi was born in Queens, but came to the Jersey City Heights with his family when he was three years old.
From there, his Jersey City story began: he went to Public School No. 28 in the Heights; County Prep High School on Montgomery Street near McGinley Square; Montclair State University for undergraduate studies; and lastly, he returned to Jersey City for a master’s in public administration from St. Peter’s University.
Ambrossi told Slice of Culture that as a first-generation Ecuadorian American, his parents came to the Hudson County city “looking to better their lives.” His father is a union painter and his mother is a paralegal and entrepreneur.
“They became homeowners. They became actively involved in the community, and they’ve really taught me and my brother what we need to do as citizens to make sure that our city is doing right by the people,” he added.
He added that he’s seen the positives, like less crime, and negatives of the city. One negative side effect he’s noticed the most is how the people he went to school with are no longer able to stay in the community because they can’t afford it, so they have to move out—which is also an ongoing issue throughout the state.
All that coupled with being an open space advocate for 15 years—including as a volunteer with Pershing Field Garden Friends, a trustee for Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance and a founding member of the Leonard Gordon Park Conservancy—pushed Ambrossi into wanting to step up for his community.
But what gave him the extra push to pursue the Ward D seat is former councilman Michael Yun. Yun lived in the Heights starting in 1981 and became the first Korean-born person elected to city council. He won reelection in 2017.
In 2020, the community mourned Yun’s death, which was due to COVID-19 complications.
“What inspired me to run for Ward D City Council is seeing the respect and the amount of work that former councilman Michael Yun did here in Ward D,” Ambrossi said.
“As being someone who was raised here, the work that he did was very impactful and being able to see it firsthand is something that I will never forget.”
Ambrossi helped Yun get elected into office and continued working alongside him, handling quality of life issues plus any issues within the senior community. He added that the senior community “has actually been one of my favorite portions of the community here in Jersey City.”
Ambrossi now takes his inspiration and teachings from Yun to continue his public service, like organizing city-wide cleanups and advocating for city parks and open spaces, and campaign alongside former Board of Education President and current mayoral candidate Mussab Ali.
Advocating For The People
Ali, who was born in Pakistan and moved to Jersey City when he was three years old, mainly grew up in the Journal Square area like the Heights and West Side. He is the youngest candidate running to step in for current Mayor Steve Fulop, and has been advocating for young voters to get more involved.
“When I initially started running for Ward D City Council, I announced I was running with [Mussab Ali]… I joined Mussab Ali on his ticket because I think he’s put forward a very forward thinking plan for the city on how we want to move in terms of transportation, how we want to move in terms of housing, what we want to do in terms of sustainability and city services,” Ambrossi said.
“A lot of the things that I think we have in common with him being young, while many might say that it’s a negative, I actually look at it as a positive… I think he has a good head on his shoulders and I’m happy to be running with him.”
The mayoral candidate pool also includes:
- Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea
- Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey
- City Council President Joyce Watterman
- Ward E Councilman James Solomon
- Jersey City Police Officer Christina Freeman
The council candidate added that no matter who is elected the next mayor, he will ensure that he works with the administration and the community to get things done.
“It’s not about the politics of it, it’s about the people… So we want to make sure that we’re advocating for them, we’re fighting for our recreational facilities, putting in community centers, making sure we’re listening to parents, seeing what they need for their kids…,” he said.
“I’m on Mussab Ali’s team and I definitely will be working with him. I’ll work with anyone in the administration [and] anyone in the community who wants to do better and do good for us.”
Ambrossi spoke on a number of topics including housing, open space advocacy, transportation and preserving the city’s diverse culture.
To learn more about Ambrossi’s specific standpoints, you can visit his website at https://www.patrickambrossi.com/ or see his biography on https://www.ali2025.com/about-patrick.
To read all about the candidates, you can check https://www.sliceofculture.com/tag/jersey-city-mayor-2025-election/. For Hudson County election resources or information, you can visit: https://vote.hcnj.us/.
