Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and his council slate have combined for 1,369,104.46 million cash on hand, while Ward B challenger Joe Brooks has $33,593.31, and Ward E Councilman James Solomon is at $32,621.02, according to campaign finance reports.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association contributed $8,250 to the mayor’s war chest on October 4th and have donated $19,050, according to Fulop’s October 22nd report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC).
The mayor’s campaign account raised $46,684.19 between October 4th and October 22nd, his 11-day pre-election report says, with $90,492.29 spent.
Secaucus-based Vision Media Marketing was paid $10,652.40 for digital marketing on October 2nd and got another $1,000 on October 8th as a consulting fee.
Additionally, Washington, D.C.-based Buying Time Media was paid $16,250 on October 4th and then again on October 7th for media buys, and then another on $19,950 on October 14th.
As for the nine council candidates team account that filed on the same day, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33) wrote a check for $1,250 on October 4th and has given $15,250 to the slate to date.
Also on October 4th, Local Union No. 164 IBEW PAC donated $7,000 and has shelled out $73,800 in this election cycle.
Similarly, UA Plumbers Local 24 chipped in $2,500 on October 14th, bringing their aggregate amount to $38,000.
They spent $42,610.40 on Vision Media for digital advertising on October 2nd, a $1,500 consulting fee on October 8th, and another $42,238.38 for printing expenses on October 12th.
Furthermore, Hart Research Associates, out of Washington D.C., were paid a total of $25,800 for polling on October 13th.
They also spent the identical amounts, on the same days, for Buying Time Media, for a lump sum of $52,450.
Fulop and his team have combined to fundraise $3,202,763.76 this election cycle and have spent spent $1,841,206.34, their reports show.
Solomon, one of two incumbents not running with the mayor, raised $55,978.47 and spent $109,406.15, according to his October 22nd 11-day filing. He has $32,621.02 COH.
The downtown councilman mostly received donations of $500 or less, with one exception being his wife Gabrielle, who maxed out with a $2,600 donation on October 17th. Solomon also took out a $20,000 loan two days prior to that.
His biggest expense is The Dover Group, based out of Philadelphia, who netted a total payment of $89,310.16.
To date, he’s raised $372,675.75 and spent $340,542, the most of any council candidate.
As for Brooks, he raised $5,772.83 and spent $6,938.95 during the two-week reporting period in October, his October 25th ELEC report shows, along with $33,593.31 COH.
He donated $1,000 to his campaign on October 15th and almost all of his other donations were $100 or less. His biggest expense was paying Philadelphia-based consultant Michael Dewar $2,250 on October 10th.
He’s raised $68,024.95, the second most of any challenger not on Fulop’s slate, and has spent $34,431.64.
Ward C council challenger Tom Zuppa raised $8,800 in the final reporting period and spent $11,775, based on his October 25th ELEC filing. His COH is down to $11,775.04.
New York business owner Diego Hodara, who lists his employer as 413 Summer Holding LLC, gave a max donation of $2,600 on October 19th, while his largest expense was Rutherford-based Vital Media Relations, who were paid a lump sum of $16,300.
He has raised $82,485 to date and has spent $70,729.69.
Furthermore, Ward F council candidate Frank “Educational” Gilmore raised $9,557 and spent $5,045.67, with $23,361.49 COH, according to his October 22nd report.
His biggest donors gave $2,500 each: one donation from JP Consulting and Business Services LLC, who lists their address as 800 Paterson Plank Road in Union City, and the other being the Rodriguez Organization LLC, with an address of 77 Beacon St. in Jersey City.
He also refunded Brenda Williams $1,000 after she went $400 over the individual contribution limit in the third quarter. Overall, Gilmore has received, $32,965 in contributions and used only $9,603.51.
Of the remaining candidates on the ballot, Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro, the other incumbent not running with Fulop, reported raised $19,945 – nearly the same as his COH – $19,310.84. He spent $14,085.80, his October 22nd ELEC report says.
He indicates that he’s raised $96,525.48 to date and spent $124,489.46.
Additionally, Ward D council hopeful Danielle Freire has COH $10,024.26, raising $4,399 and spending $7,165.11, her October 21st ELEC filing shows.
She has donated $1,920 to her campaign and raised $24,660.10 to date, while spending $14,635.84.
Ward A council candidate Kristen Zadroga-Hart has $4,890 COH, spent 3,485 and raised $1,975, her October 25th report shows.
The other challenger in the Ward C race, Kevin Bing, has raised $48,586.25 to date, including two $10,000 loans, and has spent $36,792.76, his October 22nd filing shows, along with $11,793.49 COH.
Council-at-Large challenger June Junes has $6,334.72 COH, raising $19,412 this election cycle and spending $13,077.28, based on his October 22nd campaign finance report.
Two candidates, Council-at-Large hopeful Elvin Dominici and mayoral challenger Lewis Spears, report being in the red: Dominici reported a negative balance of $1,067.68 on October 25th, while Spears reported -$1,143.23 on October 20th.
Dominici has raised $20,780 overall, spending $21,727.68.
Meanwhile, Spears appears to have made an error listing just $1,230 to date and spending $2,398.23, since he reported raising over $20,000 in the third quarter.
Council-at-Large candidate Chris Gadsden, who was in the red after the third quarter, did not file an 11-day report, nor did Ward D council candidate John Salierno or Ward F council candidate Vernon Richardson – who is yet to file any reports.
Salierno filed an A-1 on October 4th, indicating he will not raise more than $5,800 in the three-way contest, so he is therefore not required to make subsequent filings.
The nonpartisan Jersey City municipal elections are on November 2nd and early voting is available through Halloween.
