Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman, a declared candidate for mayor, has $102,393.97 cash on hand after raising $96,044.13 in the first quarter of 2024, her April 15th campaign finance report shows.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Mike Antonakos, of Elizabeth-based MPA Painters, donated $5,200, the same amount as Sean Aronsen, of Yonkers, New York-based Aro Construction, Delaware-based Grubb Lumber Company, Inc., and Jersey City-based Waterfront Management HC LLC, her April 15th New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC) report says.
Additionally, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who Watterman endorsed for Congress in the 8th District, contributed $1,000, former Board of Education Trustee Alexander Hamilton gave $750, and city Office of Emergency Management Coordinator W. Greg Kierce contributed $375.
Watterman also had a very low burn rate, with her largest expense being a $2,438.90 check to Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., a Washington, D.C. firm, for political consulting.
While this is her best fundraising quarter to date, former Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Mussab Ali, who announced a mayoral run, said he raised $100,000 in his first 48 hours as a candidate.
Furthermore, the other two declared candidates in the race, former Gov. Jim McGreevey and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), reported raising roughly $230,000 and $500,000 in the first quarter of 2024.
McGreevey has raised about $1.4 million to date, while O’Dea has approximately $650,000 cash on hand, their respective campaigns said last week.
HCV will provide a breakdown of their donors and expenditures later today.
The non-partisan Jersey City mayoral race isn’t until November 3rd, 2025.
