Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman brought in $35,627, spent $54,618.04, and has $42,096.02 cash on hand for her bid for mayor, her April 15th report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC) says.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The PAC for Jersey City-based law firm Connell Foley gave $5,000, Linden’s Rosa Cruz donated $3,000 – as did Budd Lake-based KDS Construction – and Kearny-based Eglentowicz Wrecking LLC President Gerald Eglentowicz wrote a check for $1,750.
Additionally, Claremont Construction Group’s Donald Sciaretta wrote a check for $5,000, Donald Garden Greenz cannabis dispensary owner Brian Markey contributed $4,200, the Ringside Lounge sports bar got involved at $2,250, and Whole Autism Care CEO Sherry Singh gave $2,000.
Watterman and her husband each gave $1,250, while council-at-large candidate Rev. Tami Weaver-Henry chipped in $9,250, though there is a notation that she must be refunded $3,750 for going over the limit.
As far as expenditures go, the council president paid Oscar James, who was an advisor to former Newark Mayors Sharpe James and Cory Booker who pleaded to tax evasion in 2017, was paid $15,000, for political consulting.
Similarly, Bayonne’s Ashley Caleb received $5,000 for political consulting, former Assemblyman Jamel Holley’s JHSG company was paid $3,000 for the same service, as well Jersey City’s Israel Adeyanju.
Additionally, Vernon Richardson, a former aide to Mayor Steven Fulop, was paid $4,500 for political consulting.
Watterman is in a five-person contest to succeed Fulop, who is currently running for governor rather than seeking a fourth term.
The other declared candidates are former Gov. Jim McGreevey, Ward E Councilman James Solomon, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), and ex-Board of Education President Mussab Ali.
McGreevey has raised the most so far, followed by Solomon, O’Dea, Ali, and then Watterman – who is the only candidate who doesn’t have at least six figures for cash on hand.
She said in a letter to the editor shortly after the fourth quarter 2024 numbers came out that she is running a grassroots effort that doesn’t have fundraising as her top priority.
The non-partisan Jersey City mayoral race is on November 4th.
