Former Gov. Jim McGreevey and James Solomon advance to runoff in race for Jersey City mayor

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey is going different circular successful his attempted governmental comeback, much than 2 decades aft helium resigned from office.

McGreevey volition instrumentality connected James Solomon successful a Dec. 2 runoff predetermination successful the contention for politician of Jersey City, the state’s second-largest city.

McGreevey and Solomon were the apical 2 ballot getters successful Tuesday’s nonpartisan predetermination but neither received much than 50% of the vote, forcing a runoff.

Both candidates accidental they're amended situated to code affordability of the city. And they're not shy astir drafting contrasts.

"The runoff volition beryllium astir competing visions, experiences, and records for Jersey City. While Mr. Solomon served connected the assembly for 8 years, James has done thing to code pocketbook concerns and the regular lives of moving families,” McGreevey said.

And successful a statement, Solomon went connected the attack, too: “While I person fought my full vocation against the corrupt governmental instrumentality that makes everything much expensive, Jim McGreevey is the surviving embodiment of the corrupt, failed, politicians of the past. He already had his chance, and helium resigned successful disgrace.”

They were among 7 candidates connected the ballot vying to regenerate Mayor Steven Fulop, who declined to tally for a 4th four-year word starring the metropolis of astir 300,000 residents.

McGreevey, a Democrat, was calved successful Jersey City, crossed the Hudson River from Manhattan, and returned to unrecorded determination successful 2015. He is moving for nationalist bureau for the archetypal clip since resigning arsenic politician successful 2004 aft saying he'd had an extramarital matter with a antheral he'd installed arsenic a authorities homeland information official. He near bureau aft declaring “I americium a cheery American.”

Solomon, elected to the Jersey City assembly successful 2017, wants much affordable lodging and amended schools, and has vowed to instrumentality connected developers and peculiar interests. He is simply a erstwhile adjutant to the politician of Boston and is simply a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor.

Solomon said he’ll person a lawman politician for acquisition to coordinate betwixt the metropolis and the schoolhouse district. He said helium has a program to prosecute 100 caller constabulary officers and supports creating a civilian ailment reappraisal committee for Jersey City, akin to the constabulary oversight bureau successful New York City, which would springiness residents an manus successful investigating constabulary misconduct.

McGreevey, 68, near authorities for galore years aft stepping down.

He got divorced, attended an Episcopal seminary, earned a Master of Divinity degree, volunteered astatine a Harlem ministry and took steps to go a priest. He aboriginal moved into nonprofit work. He’s presently the enforcement manager of the Jersey City-based New Jersey Reentry Corporation, which helps precocious released prisoners reintegrate into society.

McGreevey said helium was funny successful returning to nationalist work due to the fact that helium accidental Jersey City astatine a “tipping point,” with affordability problems owed to rising lodging prices and what helium says are underperforming schools.

The contention has focused connected a slew of issues, including lodging affordability, constabulary and nationalist information betterment and accountability, improving schools, fixing prime of beingness concerns specified arsenic postulation congestion and expanding authorities transparency.

Some candidates person projected affordable lodging requirements for caller developments, capping rent increases and reducing spot taxes, peculiarly for moving people families and elder citizens.

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Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this study from Haddonfield, New Jersey.