Jersey City Mayoral Candidate Profile: Lewis Spears

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City's municipal election is set for November 2 and the candidate field is full.

With election season in full swing, 24 candidates filed and made it onto November's ballot. There are nine open spots on the City Council and the race of Mayor.

Lewis Spears is running for mayor against incumbent Steven Fulop.

Patch sent a candidate profile form to each person who met the filing deadline. We will be posting them individually through the election season. Each one is published in the candidate's own words, but may be shortened for space.

Here are Spears' responses:

Age (as of Election Day)

37

Party Affiliation

Democrats

Family

My wife Myriam Spears- 38, I have two sons, Beau Spears- 20 months, Ari Jaxson-5

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Not in Jersey City. My cousin is Assistant Corporate Counsel in Newark

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Rutgers University, M.A. Urban Education, NJCU, M. Ed. School Leadership, Harvard University

Occupation

Executive Director, Kismet of Kings ( 9 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

No

Campaign website

https://spearsforjerseycity.com/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I was inspired to run for Mayor because of my love for Jersey City and its people. I have lived in public housing in Jersey City. I have been a student, a teacher, and a public servant in Jersey City. I've been a leader of a nonprofit organization that works with youth in the community. I've worshipped in Jersey City's churches. I'm a taxpayer and a home owner in Jersey City. I understand the issues our residents face on a day-to-day basis, and I believe it is time for an administration that centers the needs of all of Jersey City's residents. We need an administration that sees our current residents as valuable to our city, one that prioritizes investing in our human capital as one of the most critical things we can do to secure the future of Jersey City. This mindset is what I intend to bring to the table as Mayor.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing Jersey City is the complete lack of transparency and accountability of the current administration. We have a Mayor who consistently pushes his agenda through with the rubber stamp of a majority in the City Council. No matter what issue we're looking at, the root of it stems from an administration that doesn't see the need to let the people understand fully what is driving their decision making. There is very little space in terms of time or opportunity for residents to weigh in on policy before it's passed, and the impact of this is two-fold. Firstly, people are apathetic at this moment. People are tired, don't feel seen, and are hesitant to participate in our democracy because they don't see a role for them. Secondly, we only see the Mayor rushing to act when there is an uproar from residents, we have this strange reactive headline-driven policy agenda at play here, which just isn't a sustainable way to run a city.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The biggest difference between Mayor Fulop and me, is that I really believe that all the perspectives I bring as a Jersey City resident born and raised, make me someone who is completely invested in building a city that works for all of our residents.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My STAY platform is more than an acronym. It's a vision I have for the city that addresses all of our biggest issues in a holistic way.

Safety: A Jersey City that's safe for all residents, regardless of their zip code
Training and Education: Investing in a 21st century workforce, so that more residents can occupy the high paying jobs in the city.
Accessibility and Affordability: Ensuring that long-time residents can stay in their owned homes and rental units
Yours: Jersey City residents deserve the opportunity to work towards a strong, sustainable city for all of our children.

For more details on my platform, please visit my website: spearsforjerseycity.com/stay

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I started a nonprofit that has served over 400 Black and Brown young men in our community. The goal was to keep them off the streets, have them set goals and work towards them and have them graduate from high school. I did this because I've lost friends and family members on the streets of this city, and because it was a space that needed to be filled. No, my budget wasn't the City's budget, but I built a program from nothing and scaled it to meet the urgent needs of families in this City. I can point to graduates of my program as productive citizens in our community. I grew my program by understanding the needs of the community, listening to the young men and their families, making a strong case to donors and investors, and building processes that work efficiently and effectively. I think my accomplishments more than qualify me to me a first-time mayor in the Jersey City.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

How you do anything is how you do everything. allowed me to know that I have to put my best foot forward with anything I've ever done.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I've run a campaign that I believe has been as transparent as possible. I've answered every question about my qualifications and my intentions to the best of my ability. I want you to know that this isn't just a campaign strategy, this is who I am. My love for this city and its residents will continue to drive every decision I make as your mayor.