In an editorial, Jersey City resident Erica Walker explains why she is voting for Tina Nalls for city council at-large, contending she would be a fierce advocate citywide.
Peace & Power to my Jersey City family!
I am writing today not as a political staffer, not as someone who works inside City Hall, but as a neighbor, a mother, a community member, and someone who truly loves this city.
On December 2nd, we have a chance to decide what kind of leadership we want representing all of Jersey City. And I want to share with you why I am proudly endorsing Tina Nalls (4B) for City Council At-Large.
My endorsement is not because Tina is my friend.
It’s because she is one of the most honest, committed, and passionate people I know. When it comes to the lived realities of our residents, Tina shows up and shows out for THEM.
It’s the reason why I hired her as an Aide in Councilman Gilmore’s office. You can have all the degrees and all the money in the world, but you can’t teach or buy passion.
And it’s a missing factor in the current council chambers (outside of beloved councilmen Frank “Educational” Gilmore and our next hopeful mayor, James Solomon).
I trust Tina to make the right decisions for the city’s future. I trust her to continue to be open, honest, and heavily engaged in the community so that she may continue to serve THE PEOPLE.
What makes Tina so special is simple: Tina shows up — whether the cameras do or don’t.
She isn’t a career politician. She doesn’t come from the political machine. She wasn’t groomed for office.
But she was built by this community — by the elders who poured into her, by the young people she mentors, and by the neighbors she has stood with long before politics ever entered the picture.
Tina is the person who will literally give you the shirt off her back. She will give you her last, and then turn around and search for even more to give you.
She doesn’t ask about income qualifications or care who your family is or isn’t. She doesn’t do favors-for-favors. She just asks: “How can I help?”
That kind of heart is rare.
That kind of integrity is rare.
That kind of leadership is almost unheard of in Hudson County politics today.
But it’s exactly what Jersey City needs right now.
We are heading into a runoff because the people demanded something different. You demanded leaders who listen. Leaders who care.
Leaders who don’t disappear between election cycles. Leaders who show up when it matters most — not when cameras are rolling.
Tina is that leader.
Even though she lives and works on MLK, “Tina be everywhere!” Riding in that big ol’ green truck packed full of free necessities for anyone in need, no matter what part of the city they reside in.
All in the name of “Community Treasures.” When you ask Tina why, she’ll tell you gladly, “Because the Community is the Treasure!”
As an at-large council member, she will continue to serve every neighborhood — from Greenville to the Heights, from Downtown to West Side, from Bergen-Lafayette to Journal Square.
And she will do it with fairness, compassion, and a steady commitment to the people first.
This runoff election is not about politics.
It’s about the future we want for our children, our seniors, our families, and our neighborhoods.
Do we continue with business as usual?
Or do we take a bold step toward leadership rooted in heart, courage, and accountability?
For me, the choice is clear.
I’m choosing someone who has always shown up for our people, long before she ever asked for their vote.
I’m choosing someone whose integrity cannot be bought or compromised.
I’m choosing someone who leads with love for this city.
I’m choosing Tina Nalls (4B)
And I humbly encourage every resident who believes in honest, community-first leadership to join me at the polls on December 2nd.
Let’s move Jersey City forward — together
Peace & Power,
Erica Walker
– I’m also endorsing Michael Griffin (7B) – a no-brainer. I’ll tell you why in my next piece.
Editor’s note: Erica Walker and Tina Nalls both work in of the office of Jersey City Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore, who has also endorsed Nalls.
