Progressive James Solomon wins big in Jersey City, snapping Jim McGreevey’s comeback bid
Councilman James Solomon won Jersey City’s mayoral runoff election Tuesday, defeating former Gov. Jim McGreevey in a contest that highlighted the divides within New Jersey’s Democratic Party.
Solomon, 41, was prevailing with 68% of the vote to McGreevey’s 32%, according to unofficial results from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office as of 11:30 p.m. The Dec. 2 runoff followed a hard-fought campaign that pitted a rising progressive against a once-formidable establishment figure.
The race to succeed outgoing Mayor Steven Fulop, who did not seek reelection and instead pursued the 2025 Democratic nomination for governor, was widely viewed as a proxy battle between grassroots organizers and traditional party power brokers.
Solomon told cheering supporters at the Mana Contemporary arts center that officials must deliver real progressive government that gets results every day.
“Hold us accountable to deliver on the promises that we’ve made. Hold us accountable to make things more affordable. Hold us accountable to deliver a Jersey City government as good as its people,” Solomon said.
He invited people who supported another candidate to join him in making the city a better place to live and pledged to stand up for the people of Jersey City.
“I wouldn’t have run if I didn’t believe the challenges the city faces are solvable, and they’re solvable with a team that you see here. I believe in a brighter future for this city. I believe in affordable businesses. I believe in a city government that makes you proud, and I believe in a city government that works for the benefit of the people,” Solomon said.
“We are going to make this city more affordable. We are going to make it better for you. We are going to make it safer, and we are going to make it easier to live here. Because Jersey City and an affordable Jersey City starts now,” he said.
Jersey City, the second largest city in the state with more than 302,000 residents, has 178,604 registered voters. Turnout for the runoff was just under 20%, with more than 32,800 ballots cast as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, with results from just eight voting districts of the city’s 190 districts still to be tallied.
Solomon, a two-term Ward E councilmember, campaigned on housing affordability, government transparency, and independence from Hudson County’s entrenched political machine. He was endorsed by Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Andy Kim, who successfully abolished the county line ballot system in New Jersey. Solomon’s platform emphasized lowering housing costs, strengthening tenant protections, and investing in crisis response programs.
McGreevey, 68, sought a political comeback more than two decades after resigning the governorship. Endorsed by Gov. Phil Murphy and Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, and backed by several labor unions, the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, and much of the state’s Democratic establishment, which abandoned him after he came in second place in the General Election. He positioned himself as an experienced executive who could restore professionalism in City Hall and expand social services.
The runoff between the two Democrats was triggered after no candidate secured a majority in the Nov. 5 general election, when Solomon and McGreevey emerged as the top two vote-getters in a crowded field. Solomon won 29% of the vote, and McGreevey won 25% of the vote.
Solomon’s win marks a defining moment for progressive politics in New Jersey’s second-largest city, where development pressures, affordability concerns, and political patronage have become central issues for voters. His campaign drew strength from a multiracial coalition of young professionals and longtime residents.
McGreevey, who led the Jersey City Employment and Training Program in recent years, framed the race as a referendum on leadership and civic responsibility. But as Solomon gained momentum in the final stretch, McGreevey’s message failed to gain traction. He also struggled to overcome lingering skepticism about his past and his ties to the Democratic machine.
While Hudson County has long been dominated by centralized political machines, Solomon’s victory suggests a new model is emerging, fueled by grassroots organizing, digital outreach, and issue-based campaigning.
Solomon’s immediate challenges include forming a transition team and beginning work on campaign pledges such as affordable housing reform and ethics policy overhauls.
As of Tuesday night, McGreevey had not announced whether he plans to remain involved in public life and seek another elected office.
“We tried to run a campaign on bread and butter issues,” McGreevey said just after 9 p.m. “I congratulate councilman, and now mayor-elect, James Solomon.”
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Krystal Knapp is the founder of The Jersey Vindicator and the hyperlocal news website Planet Princeton. Previously she was a reporter at The Trenton Times for a decade.