Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Lekendrick Shaw has confirmed that he won’t seek re-election in the non-partisan November 7th contest, citing his accomplishments during a difficult time on the board.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Shaw, who was appointed in August 2019 before winning back-to-back elections in November 2019 and November 2020, he said he is proud of his body of work when responding to an inquiry from HCV asking if he planned on running again.
“For instance, helping to extend the lease at A Harry Moore school to secure programing for our most vulnerable students, serving as co-chair of the negotiation committee,”
“In addition, participating in the budget process which grew from approximately 600+ million to 1 billion and most recently funded teachers’ contract renewal. And lastly, navigating through operating the second largest school district in NJ during Covid-19. Although there are several more initiatives and work, I was able to accomplish on the BOE these are key areas where I believe I was able to offer my skill set.”
In both instances, Shaw ran with the “Education Matters” team – the slated backed by the Jersey City Education Association – being part of a 3-2 split in 2019 and then a clean sweep in a head-to-head contest against their rivals “Change for Children” in 2020.
Additionally, he served as the board vice president in 2021, the same year they elected their youngest president, Mussab Ali.
And as he noted, the budget went up approximately 40 percent during this time, resulting in a tax increase in every year except this one.
“When first elected and I stated I wanted to offer my skills to resolve operational and financial issues and we have achieved some success towards long-term solutions during my time on the board of education. With that in mind and an expansive work portfolio on the personal front I believe this is the best decision,” he added.
“Also, in the spirit of being transparent and giving stakeholders and others time to plan I believe in stating my intentions now. As always, I thank the community for the opportunity to develop my communication skills and the chance to connect and collaborate with professionals in a variety of industries.”
While the election is still about four-and-a-half months away, the filing deadline with the Hudson County Board of Elections is July 31st at 4 p.m.
A former aide to Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey who unsuccessfully sought the seat in the 2016 special election, Shaw also teased that he wasn’t done running for office.
“I look forward to maintaining the professional relationships I’ve made after my term ends and plan to stay involved in the community and electoral process. When the opportunity presents itself, I will present more on what’s next in terms of my future in elected office.”
The non-partisan Jersey City municipal elections are on November 4th, 2025 and the early list of mayoral candidates includes Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), former Gov. Jim McGreevey, Ward E Councilman James Solomon, and Council President Joyce Watterman.
Whoever decides to run for mayor will likely run a slight of nine council candidates: three at-large and a ward representative for all six wards.
