2025 Jersey City mayoral election
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The 2025 Jersey City mayoral election was held on November 4, 2025. A runoff was held on December 2, 2025, between the top two candidates, as none achieved a majority of the vote in the general election. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Steven Fulop was eligible to seek re-election to a fourth four-year term, but announced he would instead run for governor.[1]
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November 4, 2025 (first round)
December 2, 2025 (runoff) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Solomon: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% McGreevey: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% O'Dea: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% Ali: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% No data  Solomon: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% McGreevey: 10–20% 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% No data | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent city councillor James Solomon was elected in a December 2 runoff, defeating former state governor Jim McGreevey.
Candidates
Advanced to the runoff
- James Solomon, city councilor from ward E (2017–present)[2]
- Jim McGreevey, former governor of New Jersey (2002–2004)[3]
Eliminated in the first round
- Bill O’Dea, Hudson County commissioner from the 2nd district (1997–present)[4]
- Kalki Jayne-Rose, musician[5]
- Mussab Ali, former president of the Jersey City Board of Education (2021–2022) at-large (2018–2022)[6]
- Christina Freeman, police officer[7]
- Joyce Watterman, president of the Jersey City Council (2023–present) from the at-large district (2013–present)[8]
Declined
- Steven Fulop, incumbent mayor (2013–present) (ran for governor)[9]
- Jerry Walker, Hudson County commissioner from the 3rd district (2018–present), candidate for mayor in 2013, and candidate for New Jersey's 10th congressional district in 2024 (ran for State Assembly)[10][11]
General election
Endorsements
Mussab Ali
- Executive branch officials
- Kal Penn, actor and former Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement (2009–2011)[12]
- U.S. representatives
- Ro Khanna, CA-17 (2017–present)[13]
- Ilhan Omar, MN-5 (2019–present)[14]
- Rashida Tlaib, MI-12 (2019–present)[15]
- Statewide officials
- Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general (2019–present)[16]
- Local officials
- Svante Myrick, former mayor of Ithaca, New York (2012–2022)[17]
- Organizations
- 314 Action[18]
- CAIR Action NJ[19]
- Emgage Action New Jersey[20]
- New American Leaders Action Fund[21]
- People for the American Way[22]
- Run for Something[23]
Jim McGreevey
- U.S. representatives
- Bonnie Watson Coleman, NJ-12 (2015–present)[24]
- Albio Sires, NJ-8 (2006–2023) and mayor of West New York (1995–2006, 2023–present)[25]
- Statewide officials
- Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey (2018–present)[26]
- Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania (2003–2011)[27]
- State legislators
- Raj Mukherji, state senator from the 32nd district (2024–present)[28]
- Nicholas Sacco, former state senator from the 32nd district (1994–2024) and mayor of North Bergen (1991–present)[29]
- Brian Stack, state senator from the 33rd district (2008–present) and mayor of Union City (2000–present)[30]
- Stephen Sweeney, former president of the New Jersey Senate (2010–2022) from the 3rd district (2002–2022)[31]
- County officials
- Frank Sadeghi, at-large Ocean County Commissioner (2023–present)[32]
- Local officials
- Rich Boggiano, Jersey City councilor from ward C (2013–present)[28]
- Jerramiah Healy, former mayor of Jersey City (2004–2013)[28]
- Gerald McCann, former mayor of Jersey City (1981–1985, 1989–1992)[31]
- Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston (2010–2016)[33]
- Andre Sayegh, mayor of Paterson (2018–present)[34]
- 6 other mayors[25][29]
- Party officials
- George Gilmore, Ocean County Republican Party Chair (1996–2019, 2022–present)[32]
- Craig Guy, Hudson County Democratic Party Chair (2024–present) and Hudson County Executive (2024–present)[35]
- Individuals
- John Costa, international president of Amalgamated Transit Union (2019–present)[36]
- Harold Daggett, international president of International Longshoremen's Association (2011–present)[37]
- Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality (2016–present)[38]
- Political parties
- Hudson County Democratic Organization[39]
- Labor unions
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 246[40]
- Amalgamated Transit Union - National and New Jersey State Council[36]
- Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters[41]
- International Longshoremen's Association - National[37] and New York-New Jersey District Council[42]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825[43]
- Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association[44]
- Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association[44]
- Laborers' International Union of North America[45]
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360[40]
- Organizations
- Garden State Equality Action Fund[38]
- LGBTQ+ Victory Fund[33]
Bill O’Dea
- Local officials
- Daniel Rivera, at-large Jersey City councilor (2013–present)[46]
- Labor unions
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District 1199J[47] and Local 245[48]
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 59[49]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council 73 and Local 560[45]
- Hudson County Building Trades[50]
- Jersey City Education Association[51]
- SEIU 32BJ (co-endorsement with Solomon)[52]
James Solomon
- Local officials
- Ravinder Bhalla, mayor of Hoboken (2018–present)[53]
- Frank Gilmore, Jersey City councilor from ward F (2021–present)[54]
- Denise Ridley Jersey City councilor from ward A (2017–present)[55]
- Individuals
- Katie Brennan, former chief of staff for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency[56]
- Labor unions
- Committee of Interns and Residents[57]
- Health Professionals and Allied Employees[58]
- SEIU 32BJ (co-endorsement with O'Dea)[52]
- Organizations
- New Jersey Working Families Party[59]
- Our Revolution[60]
Joyce Watterman
- Organizations
Declined to endorse
- Local officials
- Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark (2014–present)[62]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Mussab Ali |
Jim McGreevey |
Bill O'Dea |
James Solomon |
Joyce Watterman |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[63][A] | October 23, 2025 | 494 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 10% | 22% | 16% | 24% | – | 4% | 24% |
| Swayable[64][B] | October, 2025 | 397 (LV) | ± 5.1% | 17% | 29% | 10% | 8% | – | 7% | 25% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group (D)[65][C] | August 6–9, 2025 | 401 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 3% | 30% | 18% | 15% | 7% | – | 27% |
| Impact Research (D)[66][A] | July 24–27, 2025 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 5% | 27% | 11% | 26% | 6% | 3% | 22% |
| Opiniones Latinas/ McLaughlin & Associates[67][D] |
June 18–24, 2025 | 600 (LV) | – | 5% | 38% | 12% | 18% | 5% | – | 23% |
| Impact Research (D)[66][A] | August 16–20, 2024 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 6% | 28% | 8% | 16% | 4% | 3% | 36% |
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Solomon | 18,838 | 29.19% | |
| Jim McGreevey | 16,219 | 25.13% | |
| Bill O’Dea | 13,844 | 21.45% | |
| Mussab Ali | 11,877 | 18.40% | |
| Joyce Watterman | 2,491 | 3.86% | |
| Christina Freeman | 955 | 1.48% | |
| Kalki Jayne-Rose | 162 | 0.25% | |
| Write-in | 154 | 0.24% | |
| Total votes | 64,540 | 100.00 | |
Runoff
Endorsements
Jim McGreevey
- 2025 mayoral candidates
- Joyce Watterman, president of the Jersey City Council (2023–present) from the at-large district (2013–present)[69]
- Local officials
- Daniel Rivera, at-large Jersey City councilor (2013–present) (previously endorsed O'Dea)[70]
James Solomon
- 2025 mayoral candidates
- Mussab Ali, former president of the Jersey City Board of Education (2021–2022) at-large (2018–2022)[71]
- Christina Freeman, police officer[72]
- Bill O’Dea, Hudson County commissioner from the 2nd district (1997–present)[71]
- U.S. senators
- Andy Kim, New Jersey (2025–present)[73]
- Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts (2013–present)[74]
- State legislators
- Angela McKnight, state senator from the 31st district (2024–present)[75]
- Local officials
- Yraida Aponte-Lipski, Hudson County commissioner from the 4th district (2021–present)[76]
- Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark (2014–present)[77]
- Joel Torres, former Hudson County commissioner from the 4th district (2018–2020)[78]
- Labor unions
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees New Jersey Council 63[79]
- Communications Workers of America District 1[80]
Declined to endorse
- State legislators
- Brian Stack, state senator from the 33rd district (2008–present) and mayor of Union City (2000–present) (previously endorsed McGreevey)[81]
- Local officials
- Craig Guy, Hudson County Executive (2024–present) and Hudson County Democratic Party Chair (2024–present) (previously endorsed McGreevey)[82]
- Political parties
- Hudson County Democratic Organization (previously endorsed McGreevey)[39]
Polling
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Solomon | 24,675 | 68.16% | |
| Jim McGreevey | 11,525 | 31.84% | |
| Total votes | 36,200 | 100.00 | |