'Positive' Hoboken Mayoral Runoff Campaign Lasted 48 Hours

HOBOKEN, NJ — Now that two candidates in Hoboken's mayoral election have entered a runoff, the gloves are off.

Councilwoman Emily Jabbour received the most votes on Nov. 4, and will face the runner-up, Councilman Michael Russo, on Dec. 2. A runoff occurs when no candidate amasses more than 50 percent of the vote.

On election night, Jabbour said, "As we move toward the December 2 runoff, I’m energized and ready to continue the conversation with residents across every neighborhood and earn even more votes than we did today."

Russo's team promised a "bold, positive campaign" the next day, saying, "Affordability and quality of life are core priorities that cannot be ignored...I look forward to a bold, positive campaign based on the needs of our neighbors. Hoboken deserves a mayor who doesn’t just listen to them, but acts."

The campaigns may be bold, but if they started positive, they didn't last long.

In a video ad and in several mailings in the last two weeks, Jabbour's camp made reference to a situation in 2009 in which Russo, then a council candidate, met with an undercover FBI operative who was part of a sting.

The operative, Solomon Dwek, faced criminal charges and was used in federal Operation Bid Rig to offer bribes to New Jersey political candidates in exchange for development favors.

Russo was among several Hoboken candidates who met with Dwek. Russo made comments such as "all things being equal, I’ll always make sure my friends are heard before anyone else” — but never actually took a bribe. At the time, then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer paid for a transcript of the tapes.

Russo was not charged with a crime.

READ MORE: Footage Of Russo Meeting With Dwek Released

At the time, Russo referred to his comments as the "boasts" of a young man.

Russo was also accused by previous opponent Tiffanie Fisher of being close with certain developers and speaking at their buildings, including a landlord named in an NJ.com story about tenants feeling pressure to leave. Jabbour's literature accuses him of taking thousands in donations from corporate developers.

Jabour's literature has also tied Russo to Trump-supporting Republicans. In the Patch profiles of the candidates last month (linked below), Russo said he supported Kamala Harris for president in the last election, but had friends on both sides of the political spectrum. Jabbour said she voted for Harris, noting, "I am concerned that the City of Hoboken will see a reduction in some of the major funding sources that have allowed us to bolster our infrastructure improvements in recent years as a result of national politics."

The profiles are here:

• Emily Jabbour
• Michael Russo

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Russo Responds

Russo responded with an email to supporters on Saturday with the subject head, "When they go low, we go high."

Russo wrote, "Being the target of nasty, recycled political attacks is never a pleasant experience. When the person throwing mud is someone that you’ve considered a friend for years, it is even more hurtful.

"Unfortunately, that is exactly what Emily Jabbour is doing. She has decided to cast aside our friendship (yes, the photo above is real) for her own political expediency. Sadly, I'm just one of several friends Emily has thrown away as she attempts to climb the ladder. It’s a sign of the times, and Hoboken deserves better…On Day One of this campaign, I pledged relentless positivity."

Watch Hoboken Patch for more coverage of the race and the differences between the candidates.

More Voting Details

Want to understand the various methods of voting in the runoff? Look here.

For New Jersey voter information and procedures, look here.

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