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Young Progressive James Solomon Upsets Former Gov. Jim McGreevey in Jersey City Mayoral Runoff

12:59 PM, 12/03/2025
Young Progressive James Solomon Upsets Former Gov. Jim McGreevey in Jersey City Mayoral Runoff

James Solomon, 41, defeated former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, 68, in the Jersey City mayoral runoff and will replace Mayor Steven Fulop. The two advanced after a seven-candidate nonpartisan general election produced no majority winner. Solomon, first elected to the council in 2017, campaigned as a progressive and emphasizes generational change. McGreevey ran on his nonprofit work and the theme of second chances but was unable to stage a political comeback.

James Solomon, 41, a progressive City Council member, defeated former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, 68, in the Jersey City mayoral runoff and will succeed outgoing Mayor Steven Fulop.

The two Democrats were the top finishers in a seven-candidate nonpartisan general election last month; because no candidate won a majority, Solomon and McGreevey advanced to Tuesday's runoff, where Solomon prevailed.

First elected to the City Council in 2017, Solomon has worked as an adjunct professor in Jersey City and previously served in the offices of longtime Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and former Newark Mayor Cory Booker. His campaign emphasized progressive priorities and generational change in one of New Jersey's largest cities.

McGreevey, who served as governor from 2002 until his resignation in 2004, sought a political comeback built around his nonprofit work helping people reenter society after prison, recover from addiction, and transition from military service. He has described himself as a "champion of second chances."

McGreevey's resignation more than two decades ago followed revelations about an extramarital relationship with a male staffer that he publicly acknowledged; the staffer denied a consensual affair and alleged sexual harassment. That episode has remained a significant part of McGreevey's political legacy.

The outcome in Jersey City follows a similar pattern seen recently in New York City, where former Gov. Andrew Cuomo failed in an attempted political comeback. Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid multiple scandals, lost the Democratic primary for mayor and then was defeated again after running as an independent.

Solomon's victory underscores a generational and ideological shift in several urban contests this year, and highlights the challenges former governors face when attempting to return to elected office after high-profile controversies.

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