Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2) has $450,312.85 cash on hand, getting an early jump on what could become a crowded field in the 2025 Jersey City mayoral contest, according to his October 27th campaign finance report.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
O’Dea, who is uncontested in the November 7th general election, said at a fundraiser in September that while he was focused on Election Day, “the future is 2025.”
Waseem Boraie, president of Boraie Development, donated $5,000, as did Matt Casino, of the New York-based Construction Realty Safety Group, Frank Critelli, of Family Senior Health LLC, Armando D’Errico, of Pinnacle Development, the District Council 711 PAC, Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 25 PAL fund, Sprinklers Fitters Local No. 696, and UA Plumbers Local 94, his October campaign finance reports show.
Meanwhile, his largest contributor was IBEW Local Union No. 164 Cope Account, who gave a cumulative $15,000.
Amongst fellow elected officials, Bayonne Board of Education Trustee Mary Jane Desmond gave $2,000 and outgoing Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Lekendrick Shaw wrote a check for $1,000.
Desmond is also running as an independent state Assembly candidate in the 31st Legislative District alongside Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Noemi Velazquez.
They were both at O’Dea’s aforementioned fundraiser, along with Assemblyman Will Sampson and Democratic nominee Barbara Stamato, the latter who is also the chair of the Jersey City Democratic Organization.
“I’m at a loss for words, I’m just shocked,” Stamato said today about Desmond’s donation, given that she and O’Dea are running mates in next Tuesday’s election.
“Not only am I supporting Column A, my people are actually out campaigning for the ticket every day, I’m not sure how many candidates actually have workers out their campaigning for Column A,” O’Dea said in response today.
At the event, he also stated that his goal was to see Column A win by a large plurality.
While there are no declared Jersey City mayoral candidates at this moment, O’Dea and former Gov. Jim McGreevey, who has not opened a campaign account yet, are both currently expected to announce before Thanksgiving.
Other potential candidates are Council President Joyce Watterman, who reported $9,893.18 cash on hand this month and is linked to a Washington, D.C.-based super PAC that hasn’t filed yet, and Ward E Councilman James Solomon, who reported $41,865.07 cash on hand in his October 11th filing with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Mayor Steven Fulop announced in April that he would run for governor in the June 3rd, 2025 primary instead of seeking a fourth term, paving the way for a non-partisan municipal election where there is no incumbent.
