Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon is expected to launch his mayoral ran later this month, which would bring the field of candidates up to five already roughly 13-and-a-half months before Election Day.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“It’s James Solomon, and I’m excited to share that our team has some exciting news we’re announcing at our upcoming event. I hope you’ll join us at Jersey City Theater Center (165 Newark Ave) on Thursday, September 19th to learn what’s next,” he said in an email blast this morning.
“Doors will open at 6 pm, and we’ll be kicking things off at 6:30 pm. Can I count on you to be there? You can RSVP to join us by clicking here! As always, I’m incredibly grateful for your support. I hope to see you in just a couple of weeks!”
The RSVP page indicates that Solomon will be kicking off “his 2025 election campaign,” which is notable since it does not say re-election.
The downtown councilman has been seen as a political force to be reckoned with for years, winning his second term by a margin of approximately 69-31 in 2021, defeating Chief Municipal Prosecutor Jake Hudnut, who ran on Mayor Steven Fulop’s ticket.
That was the widest margin of victory in Jersey City’s 10 municipal races (nine city council seats and the mayor’s seat) that year.
A progressive Democrat, Solomon has also shown a willingness to take on the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO).
For example, he backed Eleana Little against Craig Guy for county executive in 2023 and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla against U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) this past June.
While neither of the underdogs won in those instances, they posted big numbers in Ward E, with Bhalla also winning the Journal Square and the Heights.
Solomon also was one of the few Hudson County electeds, which also included Bhalla and Fulop, who called on U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign prior to being convicted on federal corruption charges in July.
Potential running mates include some of his colleagues at City Hall, such as Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley, Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, and Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh.
Former Gov. Jim McGreevey, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), Council President Joyce Watterman, and former Board of Education President Mussab Ali have already declared for the non-partisan November 4th, 2025 mayoral race.
Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, said during a February episode of HCV Live and Uncut that he felt that Solomon and O’Dea are most likely to make a December runoff election, which is necessary when no single candidate can get over 50 percent of the vote.
If the race extends into the end-of-year holiday season, which would seem extremely likely in such a crowded field, Solomon has experience: He won the Ward E seat in December 2017, defeating Rebecca Symes, who was the top vote getter in November.