Hoboken Councilwoman-at-Large Emily Jabbour defeated 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo in a tight non-partisan runoff election today to become the next mayor.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Jabbour, who launched her campaign in January, was the top vote getter last month in a six-person field where Russo was the runner-up, as HCV first reported.
She ran an aggressive campaign against Russo almost immediately, hitting him over topics including getting recorded on an FBI surveillance tape by informant Solomon Dwek 16 years ago, taking Republican donations and endorsements, and his 2022 bankruptcy.
Despite having prizefighter-level credentials when it came to standing and trading, Russo opted to largely keep his message positive, speaking about his vision for quality of life, public safety, and other day-to-day issues.
That wasn’t enough to secure the win, despite having endorsements of recent former opponents in 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher and 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos. 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano also backed him
Jabbour had the support of the likes of former Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who campaigned with her today, state Senator Raj Mukherji, and Assemblywoman-elect Katie Brennan (both D-32).
For the moment, the city council at-large race is tight, though Jabbour running mates Caitlin Layson, Zoning Board Chair Steve Firestone, and Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero are leading.
Russo’s at-large slate consisted of Liz Urtecho, Nicole Magaña, and Pete Keeling, with Urtecho currently in fourth place.
