Solomon Prepares For Inauguration To Be Jersey City Mayor: See Updated Vote Totals

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Now that downtown Jersey City Councilman James Solomon has beaten former Gov. Jim McGreevey to become the next Jersey City mayor, he must prepare for an early January inauguration.

Seven candidates ran for mayor last month, but none drew more than 50 percent of the votes cast, prompting the runoff between the top two vote-getters on Tuesday.

Despite the fact that Solomon's challenger, McGreevey, spent more than $5 million in the race, Solomon beat him handily by a vote of 23,168 to 10,904. That works out to 68 percent of the vote.

The vote totals, including paper ballots, were updated by the county Board of Elections around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

When Does New Mayor Take Office?

As Ward E councilman, Solomon represents the busy downtown section of Jersey City, near the waterfront.

Besides serving on the nine-member council, he's also a dad, cancer survivor, and grandson of Anthony Solomon, who served several presidential administrations.

He met his wife, Gabrielle Ramos-Solomon, at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, "bonding over a shared commitment to make the world a better place."

In the past, the mayors were inaugurated on New Year's Day. Current Mayor Steve Fulop began his third term on Jan. 1, 2022. But state law has changed, and he may be inaugurated mid-month instead.

A spokesperson for Solomon's campaign told Patch on Wednesday that plans for Inauguration Day have not yet been solidified. Patch will post the plans when they are released.

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