Joel Brooks will run for Jersey City’s Ward B council seat again after close first try

Democratic Socialists of America member and labor organizer Joel Brooks will run for Jersey City’s Ward B council seat again next year after a close first try in 2021.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Although the election is over a year away, I felt it was important to start early and let the community know I am running again. We came so close in 2021, I’m excited to expand on the support that we earned then,” Brooks told HCV.

“Building on that support, and speaking to people’s daily struggles, I believe can put us over the finish line in 2025 and win for working people on the West Side of Jersey City.”

Brooks challenged Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, who had the backing of Mayor Steven Fulop, in 2021 and lost by a margin of roughly 52-48.

Specifically, the vote tallies were 2,419 to 2,234, giving the incumbent the win by 185 votes, according to official results from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office.

Prinz-Arey has indicated that she will be on the municipal ballot in 2025, but has not said anything beyond that yet.

Out of the four declared mayoral candidates, only former Gov. Jim McGreevey has named a running mate in Ward B: Erfrain Badilla Orleans Jr., the building manager and events coordinator of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish.

Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2) and Brooks have had a strong working relationship in the past and could look to strike a deal that benefits both of them when it gets down to crunch time.

Council President Joyce Watterman and former Board of Education President Mussab Ali are also on the hunt for a running mate that lives on the West Side of the city.

Brooks added that he filed his D-1 report with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC), which will likely be available on their website tomorrow.

However, the document is essentially just a formal declaration that a candidate will be running in any given race, aside from naming a treasurer.

To that end, Brooks said he will serve as his own treasurer until next year, which isn’t a particularly bold move since the non-partisan Jersey City municipal elections are on November 4th, 2025.

Unlike 2021, he isn’t the only DSA member seeking a Jersey City Council seat this time around, with Jake Ephros declaring for the Ward D council seat in June.