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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — James Solomon was elected mayor of Jersey City on Tuesday, thwarting former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey’s attempt to make a political comeback more than two decades after his scandalous resignation.
Addressing supporters who gathered to watch his return and cheer him on, Solomon said: “The mission now is clear, and the work starts tonight. The work we need to do is to make Jersey City affordable. So I say tonight, Jersey City affordable starts now.”
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Solomon, a city council member since 2017, defeated McGreevey in the runoff after finishing first and second in the initial round of voting on Nov. 4 with seven candidates on the ballot. The city elections were nonpartisan, but both men are Democrats.
At a rally less than a mile away, McGreevey thanked his supporters and congratulated Solomon on his win.
“There’s nothing I would change about this campaign,” McGreevey said, adding that he walked every block in the small city and visited all its churches, mosques and synagogues while getting to know its people. “Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your welcome. And thank you for your hospitality.”
Solomon ran on a platform of affordability
Solomon, 41, said he ran for mayor to make New Jersey’s second-largest city more affordable, echoing national concerns about the cost of living. New development catering to New York City’s wealthy commuters is driving up overall prices, and the city is running a budget deficit that threatens to raise property taxes.
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His win comes a month after New York City’s mayor-elect, Democratic Socialist Zahran Mamdani, defeated another former governor eyeing a comeback, Andrew Cuomo.
There is no second chance for McGreevey
The Jersey City race gained national attention because of McGreevey’s candidacy.
It was his first time running for public office since resigning as governor in 2004 — a stunning declaration most remember for the scene of him declaring: “I am a gay American.”
McGreevey’s exit was partly prompted by controversy over his decision to appoint a man he said was his lover, former Israeli naval officer Golan Sippel, as the state’s internal security adviser in 2002 despite Sippel’s lack of qualifications and inability to obtain the necessary security clearances.
In his victory remarks, Solomon thanked McGreevey for his nomination, but said on the campaign trail that the former governor represented “the politics of the past.”
“It was scandal after scandal after scandal,” Solomon said in a recent interview. “That to me is disqualification.”
Jersey City costs rise
Jersey City, a collection of high-rises and immigrant neighborhoods, has about 303,000 residents and a municipal budget of about $700 million. It is located across the Hudson River from Manhattan, in an area sometimes referred to as the Sixth Ward.
The current mayor, Stephen Fulop, made an unsuccessful bid for governor and declined to run for a fourth term.
Solomon pledged to take on developers and special interests, invest in public safety and work with the Independent Board of Education to improve the city’s schools. He said he plans to build on legislation he passed as a council member, including banning rent hike algorithms and ensuring tenants’ right to legal counsel.
Both Solomon and McGreevey pledged to stand up to President Donald Trump, whose administration is suing to end so-called sanctuary city protections for immigrants in Jersey City.
Solomon grew up in nearby Melbourne, earned a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and was an aide to former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
He moved to Jersey City in 2013, and is married with three daughters.
In 2015, about a month after his wedding, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Now that he is fully recovered, he told the AP in an interview that this challenge inspired him to run for public office.
“I had one of life’s little moments. I was like, you know, I think I can do something that I can give back to Jersey City, because Jersey City really supported me through my toughest times,” Solomon said.
Solomon’s promises
Solomon said he plans to hire 100 new police officers and supports the creation of a Jersey City Civilian Complaint Review Board, modeled after New York City’s police oversight agency, which would give residents assistance in investigating police misconduct.
He said he would appoint a deputy mayor for education to coordinate between the city and the school district, which is independent of the municipal government.
After the race was narrowed to a runoff, Solomon received the endorsement of three other candidates. He also received the support of US Senator Andy Kim and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Even McGreevey chimed in, saying in a recent debate: “James Solomon is an incredibly likable young man. In four years, he’s going to be a great mayor.”
Voters declared on Tuesday that Suleiman’s time had come.
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