In an editorial, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla gives his take on President-elect Donald Trump (R) defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly what it means for New Jersey.
The Presidential election, I truly hope, was an eye opener for all Democrats serving and seeking to serve as public officials.
MAGA Republicans gained significant support across the country, including right here in Hudson County. We are now witnessing the consequences of a second Trump presidency in real time as unqualified ideologues are selected to run our most important federal agencies.
Last week should have been a wake-up call for many. What lessons will we learn from it? I see four things we can do right now to prepare for 2025 in New Jersey and beyond.
First, We Need to Focus on Everyday Kitchen Table Issues
I am proud that my first act as Hoboken’s Mayor was to sign an Executive Order declaring Hoboken a “Fair and Welcoming Community.” During a divisive time, that Order was meant to make clear that all people have equal rights under the law.
However, as I enter my 8th year in office, it’s clear that the call of the day is ensuring state and local government prioritize everyday kitchen table concerns.
My declaration didn’t lower the rent for residents. It didn’t pay medical bills, make childcare affordable, or lower the cost of living.
If we are to learn anything from this past election, it is that to be a truly Fair and Welcoming Community we must be an affordable community as well.
And when I say this past election, we need look no further than the results of Hoboken’s rent control referendum.
Hoboken voters overwhelmingly rejected an existential threat to affordable housing here by a 3-1 margin, far larger than the 2-1 margin that Vice President Harris prevailed over President Trump in Hoboken.
The lesson here is kitchen table issues are non-partisan. Any candidate who listens to voters can lead from the front on these issues.
The Fight for Reproductive Rights Will Be Fought Everywhere, Including Here in New Jersey
Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, reproductive rights have been on the ballot in red state and blue states.
Tellingly, with few exceptions, even voters in red states like Kansas, Montana, Missouri, Arizona, Ohio, Nevada, and Kentucky have voted to allow women and doctors —not the government —to make their own healthcare choices.
Nonetheless, we once again have a federal government that is hostile to women’s reproductive choices.
In this environment, it is more important than ever that leaders at the state, county, and municipal level – do everything in our power to ensure women are protected by the law, and that we identify and implement means for women from other states to exercise the rights they are being denied.
The Voters are Telling us that Public Safety is Crucial
This past year has also been a reminder to me that public safety and safe communities concern people more than the distant worry of a fascist in the White House.
Whether it’s a murder of one of our beloved residents this summer or the recent violence in Church Square Park, residents in Hoboken have made it clear that safe communities are critical to a thriving community, and I fully agree.
I am proud of my record of supporting law enforcement. I pledge to continue to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep our community safe (please click here for a recent update I provided to the public), but there is more that must be done.
Whether it’s increased investment in social services for our unsheltered populations, getting qualified women and men to serve in uniform, or new approaches to enforcement, these are the investments that will more than pay for themselves in the long run.
Voters are Tired of the Political Machine and Barriers to Fair Voting
Our democracy is not viable if the people have barriers to voting and if there are barriers that keep qualified and good citizens from serving in office.
During recent elections, I noticed that there were a disproportionate number of early voting stations from municipality to municipality.
Here in Hoboken, we had access to only one early voting station, while Union City, a community of similar population, there were about 9 early voting stations.
Even more egregious, Jersey City, a city with four times the population of Union City has fewer early voting stations than Union City, with only 7 early voting stations.
When it comes to obtaining a party endorsement, most counties in New Jersey have varying degrees of conventions to nominate a party endorsed candidate.
In Hudson County, however, the “process” is akin to a smoke-filled backroom meeting. As a result, voters have lost faith in the Hudson County Democratic Organization in places like Hoboken and Jersey City.
While abolishing the line was a historic step towards a more democratic process, these small tactical advantages to the local party machine amounts to a death by a thousand cuts to fair elections.
We have so much more work ahead of us. If anything, the upshot from this election is that it is an opportunity for all of us to pause for a moment to listen, learn and develop policies and practices that are grounded in the everyday priorities of the residents we serve.