Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey will face City Council member James Solomon in a runoff election for Jersey City mayor on Dec. 2 after neither candidate secured a majority in Tuesday’s vote. McGreevey received 25.1% of votes while Solomon led with 29.2% in the seven-candidate race.
Bill O’Dea received 21.5% of votes and Mussab Ali received 18.3% in Tuesday’s heated election. New Jersey law mandates a runoff when no candidate achieves a majority in municipal elections.
The election marks McGreevey’s first campaign for public office since 2004, when he resigned as governor after disclosing an extramarital relationship with a man he had appointed to a state homeland security position. During his resignation, McGreevey publicly announced, “I am a gay American.”
McGreevey was born in Jersey City and returned to reside there in 2015. His candidacy represents a notable development in the political trajectory of an openly LGBTQ candidate who left office under controversial circumstances two decades ago. Solomon, elected to the Jersey City Council in 2017, has campaigned on affordable housing, education improvement, and opposition to developer influence.
This election followed current mayor Fulup’s unsuccessful democratic primary race for New Jersey governor where he lost in a crowded field of candidates to Mikie Sherrill. Fulup had decided to run for governor rather than seek a fourth term as Jersey City mayor.
The runoff election will be conducted as a separate election on Dec. 2. The results in the runoff will determine whether McGreevey can successfully return to elected office two decades after his scandal and resignation.
