McGreevey Falls Short in Jersey City Mayoral Runoff

Just a month after Andrew Cuomo stepped away from the spotlight—having lost the New York mayoral race—another former governor, Jim McGreevey of New Jersey, found himself in a similar predicament. He ran for the mayoral position in Jersey City but also faced defeat at the hands of a younger, progressive opponent.

The 68-year-old McGreevey concluded his campaign on Tuesday when he lost in a runoff election to James Solomon, a 41-year-old City Council member, as reported by the Associated Press.

Both candidates were Democrats and had been the leading vote-getters in a nonpartisan election last month, which had seven contenders. Unfortunately, neither secured a majority, leading them to a runoff where Solomon emerged victorious.

Solomon’s win means he’ll succeed outgoing Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fulop, who opted to run for governor in 2025 after an unsuccessful primary bid in June.

Solomon first joined the City Council in 2017, after having served as an adjunct professor in Jersey City. His prior experience includes working under Boston’s former Mayor Thomas Menino and Newark’s Cory Booker, who is now a U.S. senator.

Reflecting back, McGreevey, who had previously been a state lawmaker before capturing the governorship in 2001, resigned in 2004. He cited a scandal involving an affair with a man he appointed as his homeland security adviser and publicly came out as gay. The adviser, however, denied the affair and accused McGreevey of sexual harassment.

Today, McGreevey describes himself as a “champion of second chances.” He highlights his role as the executive director of a nonprofit aimed at helping individuals reintegrate into society after serving prison time, dealing with addiction, or returning from combat.

With his bid for political renewal unsuccessful, McGreevey’s journey seems to echo that of Cuomo, who resigned amidst scandals in 2021 and subsequently lost in an attempt to return to politics. Cuomo’s run this year as an independent led him to face Mamdani a second time, only to come up short again.