Longtime Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea, who finished third in last week’s Jersey City mayoral race with 21.5% of the vote, is putting his support behind James Solomon in the December 2 runoff election against former Gov. James E. McGreevey.
“James understands that affordability must be our top priority, while also restoring ethical government and taking on corruption,” said O’Dea. “As a life-long Jersey City resident, I know we need change, and James is the one people can trust to deliver that.”
O’Dea said Solomon was “committed to transparency, accountability, and putting residents before special interests.”
“James will put Jersey City first, which is why I am endorsing him in the runoff,” he said
A two-term city councilman representing the downtown ward, Solomon picked up the endorsements of U.S. Senator Andy Kim on Saturday and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Sunday.
Solomon praised O’Dea, saying “one cares more deeply about Jersey City.”
“Bill focused his campaign on affordability and together we’re going to create a city with lower rents so that working families can not just get by but thrive,” he said. “This election is all about change and the contrast between campaigns could not be clearer: I will lower rents, Jim McGreevey will raise them.”
O’Dea was elected to the Jersey City Council in 1985 and served two terms. After Freeholder Hank Gallo died suddenly in 1997, O’Dea ran for the District 2 seat. In a special election convention, Hudson County Executive Robert Janiszewski and Freeholder William Braker, the Jersey City Democratic municipal chairman, backed Robert Gallo, the late freeholder’s brother; O’Dea won by one vote, 41-40 in a race that went to court after Gallo claimed to have a single absentee ballot that would have brought the race to a tie. A judge dismissed that claim.
