Solomon Challenges McGreevey To 6 Debates As Pair Head To Jersey City Mayoral Runoff

JERSEY CITY, NJ — And then there were two. After seven candidates competed to be mayor of Jersey City in Tuesday's election, Ward E Councilman James Solomon and former NJ Gov. Jim McGreevey will face each other in a runoff on Dec. 2.

Neither candidate drew more than 50 percent of the vote total on Tuesday, prompting the new race.

Without all of the mail-in votes counted by Wednesday, Solomon had the most votes as of noon, with 17,200. McGreevey had 15,042.

The third-place candidate, County Commissioner Bill O'Dea, amassed 12,750 votes. See totals for Tuesday here.

TV Debates?

On Wednesday, Solomon challenged McGreevey to six debates before the election, including two televised debates.

“While I am trying to bring Jersey City into a more affordable future, Jim McGreevey is trying to take it back to a corrupt past that will just make it more unaffordable and with more expensive rents," Solomon said.

He said he believes that McGreevey avoided debates in the past so he wouldn't have to answer questions about taking donations from groups that supported Pres. Donald Trump. READ MORE: Jersey City Candidate McGreevey Responds To Questions About Donations, Federal Actions

McGreevey responded on Wednesday, "I welcome the opportunity to debate Councilman Solomon in every ward, neighborhood, and corner of Jersey City. These debates belong to our community. Families deserve to hear from those who have the experience, the record, and a real plan to make this city more affordable, safer, and fairer for everyone."

See McGreevey's candidate profile posted for Patch last month. Solomon's campaign chose not to participate. READ MORE: Jersey City Mayoral Candidate Jim McGreevey Responds To Q&A

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