Hoping that the old adage that the third time’s the charm rings true, Hoboken activist Ron Bautista is running for Hudson County commissioner again, setting up a trilogy matchup with Board Chair Anthony Romano (D-5), who has defeated him twice.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I’m Ron Bautista and in Hoboken and Jersey City, we’ve fought the political bosses and we’ve won. When corporate landlords tried to double the rent with a sneaky ballot question, we organized, we showed up, and we beat them: By a lot!” he said in an Instagram Reel this morning.
“When the Hudson County jail was profiteering off immigrant detentions, we fought back, and we forced them to end the ICE contract. And when Commissioner Romano said for three years that he would not make the viaduct safer, we made it happen anyway. The county approved the changes we’ve been looking for.”
Making his debut on the Hudson County political scene in 2017 via a long shot bid for Hoboken mayor, Bautista has been an active presence on the progressive political scene ever since.
While Romano defeated him easily in 2020, the challenger made serious inroads in the redrawn 5th District that included new portions of Downtown Jersey City and lost by 219 votes in 2023.
This time, there will be no county line, therefore the mayors of Jersey City and Hoboken will have a major say in the county commissioner primaries, which do not have an official date yet, though it is likely to be either June 2nd or June 9th of next year.
Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon endorsed Bautista in 2023 and he is now a top contender for mayor. Another is former Gov. Jim McGreevey, who has the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO).
Both Solomon and Bautista backed Katie Brennan for state Assembly in the 32nd Legislative District in the June 10th Democratic primary and she ended up being the top vote getter (Solomon also endorsed Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who also won).
In the Mile Square City, it is less clear yet where the battle lines will be drawn in a five-person mayoral contest that has four city council members running.
Additionally, Eleana Little, the Ward E council candidate on Solomon’s slate, has already endorsed Bautista’s candidacy via an Instagram story. She ran for Hudson County executive on a slate of progressive challengers with Bautista last time around.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of asking elected officials to do their job. That’s why I’m running for county commissioner, because we need the political courage to fight rent price gouging and displacement, protect and respect our immigrant neighbors, to make streets safer for people of all ages and abilities,” Bautista also said in his launch video.
“Here’s the difference: I don’t take money from real estate developers. I don’t answer to political bosses. I work for you, our neighbors, as your neighbor. How’s that for a change? I’m Ron Bautista: Let’s work together because we are the change we need right now.”
Reached over the phone this morning, Romano told HCV that he will be seeking re-election in 2026.
“I look forward to continuing my work for my constituents and stand on my proven record in the 5th District,” he said.
3 Job&Pensions Anthony ‘Stick’ Romano needs to go!
A slimy triple dipping ( 2 jobs and a pension has been useless
he owns multiple properties throughout Hope open but still maintains and keeps an affordable housing apartment that should go to the poor as his bachelor pad on Hudson Street
we don’t need stick Romano, a.k.a. “quagmire” as our representative of the accounting he decided more with JerseyCity than he sides with hoboken
Is Hudson County ready for a communist commissioner? I think not.
With the Third World invasion border sabotage by Joe Biden’s Obama controllers, these people think its time to get on the public payroll in elected office.
We want American law upheld and government to serve its citizens!
Just look at the results of the last primary. If you only listened to the ignorant chuds screeching in these comments sections you’d think Bhalla was genuinely hated. You people call anyone who doesn’t agree with you “communists” without even knowing that the word means other than “bad thing I don’t like”. If you want the government to serve its citizens then get the big corporations and the political machines out of politics.
No to fascism: the Big Pharma and anti-American government mandates of experimental shots. Stop the shots!
No to communism and no to these incompetent do nothings with their DEI government jobs who have never worked in any capacity producing anything. That means Hamas anti-Semite Zohran and you can throw Ron in too!
Spout your ignorant rambling nonsense all you want. The reality is that you are vastly outnumbered. Keep crying.
We are the silent majority and we will win to save Jersey City and New Jersey!
Here come the blatant racism again…
“ Third World”
“ Unelectable”
“Shrinking Base”
“ Nobody votes for a guy in a Turban”
“ He’s lazy”
“ B&R’s”
“ the projects”
“ a pool causes too many security issues”
If This sounds like someone you know to a tea… be glad there’s more than 2 people running for Mayor too
Just because one copies zohran’s marketing, does not mean they are zohran
Romano was first elected in 2008. He confirmed he will be seeking a 7th term. Just sayin’