As the 2025 Jersey City mayoral race gets closer, the competition for the next mayor is already heating up.
Current Mayor Steven Fulop has decided to run for governor instead of staying in his position, so the race is open for a new leader.
Now, major candidates are competing to replace him, and their fundraising efforts show us how prepared they are for this important election.
Every few months, the candidates submit reports that tell us how much money they’ve raised, how much they’ve spent, and where their donations are coming from.
These reports, in many ways, give us a glimpse of who is leading the race and who might struggle to keep up.
So, today, we’ll discuss the latest reports on major candidates: Jim McGreevey, Bill O’Dea, Mussab Ali, Joyce Watterman, James Solomon, and Mike Russo.
- Jim McGreevey is leading the race for funds with over $1.4 million saved up, putting him ahead of the competition.
- Bill O’Dea and Mussab Ali show strong potential, both raising large sums to help boost their campaigns.
- Joyce Watterman and Mike Russo face challenges, with less cash saved than other candidates.
Jim McGreevey
Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey is currently ahead of the other candidates regarding fundraising.
Currently, he has over $1.4 million in cash across his mayoral and council campaigns.
Between July 1st and September 30th, McGreevey raised $400,563.64 for his campaign.
As of the most recent reports, his total cash on hand is $1,452,038.51. And he hasn’t spent any of the funds raised during this time, meaning he’s saving all his money for the later stages of the race.
McGreevey received some large donations from different groups, including:
- $32,800 from the Greater NJ Carpenters Political Education Committee.
- $20,800 from the Hugo Neu Corporation, which is connected to the New Jersey Reentry Corporation that McGreevey leads.
- $20,000 from Oscar DC Construction, based in North Bergen.
- $10,400 from David and Mark McPherson, founders of a law firm in Secaucus.
One notable donor is Charles Kushner, who gave $20,800.
Kushner has been involved in political controversies in the past, but his donation shows his support for McGreevey’s campaign.
McGreevey’s mayoral campaign account raised $106,886.64 during the same time frame but spent $247,997.05, leaving him with $1,158,361.51 in cash on hand.
Interestingly, much of this spending went to Royal Printing in West New York, which received $126,358.50.
Plus, McGreevey paid $42,000 to H & P Consulting for fundraising services earlier in the year.
Bill O’Dea
Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea positions himself as a strong candidate with solid fundraising numbers and careful spending.
In Q3, O’Dea raised $171,836.35 and has $945,772.12 across his two accounts (for mayor and commissioner).
Notably, his mayoral account holds $589,725.66.
O’Dea’s campaign received support from a range of labor unions and businesses, including:
- $19,900 from the IBEW Local Union No. 164 PAC.
- $9,000 from the Pipefitters Local Union 274 PAC.
- $6,125 from the Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 25 PAL Fund.
The Jersey City Education Association PAC backed O’Dea with $5,200, and the Jersey City Fire Officers Association donated $5,000.
Meanwhile, O’Dea kept his spending low at just $9,919.91 in Q3, showing that he is focused on saving his funds for later in the race.
Mussab Ali
Former Jersey City Board of Education President Mussab Ali raised $60,040 in Q3, and he currently has $206,056.03 saved up for his campaign.
Ali’s fundraising is mostly from small contributions, so he’s building support from a wide group of people.
Even though most of Ali’s donations were small, he did receive a few larger contributions, including:
- $5,200 from his brother, Russab Ali.
- $5,000 from author Warren Grover.
- $2,000 from Waseem Boraie of Boraie Development LLC.
Ali’s spending in Q3 was nearly as high as his fundraising.
He spent $57,419.38 during this time, with some of his largest payments going to consulting firms.
For example, 4431 Consulting, based in Washington, D.C., was paid $13,185.44, and Momentum Campaigns received $10,000.
Ali also loaned his campaign $16,500.92, showing that he’s personally investing in his campaign.
Joyce Watterman
Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman is facing financial challenges in her campaign.
In Q3, she raised $16,100 but spent $33,482.06, leaving her with $84,607.37 cash on hand.
Watterman received support from a few donors, including:
- $2,000 from William Guarini, Inc..
- $1,500 from Kingdom Power Church.
- $1,000 from the campaign of Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.
Watterman’s spending was much higher than her fundraising, and most of her money went toward consulting services.
She paid $5,000 to Oscar James for political consulting and $3,600 to Van Scoyas, another Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm.
Watterman’s daughter’s company, In Purpose On Purpose, was also paid $5,000 for consulting.
With her spending outpacing her income, Watterman will need to raise more funds to stay competitive in the race.
James Solomon
Ward E Councilman James Solomon officially joined the mayoral race in mid-September, and his fundraising numbers already show strong potential.
In Q3, Solomon raised $208,841.67, and he now has $409,646.72 cash on hand.
What stands out is Solomon’s campaign received nearly 800 donations, with more than half coming after his official campaign launch.
About $112,000 of his Q3 donations came from Jersey City residents, which shows Solomon has strong support from the local community.
Some of his key contributors include:
- $5,200 each from Robert Parisi, the former mayor of West Orange, and his wife.
- $1,000 each from Ravi Bhalla, his brother Amar, and his father Ranbir.
Solomon kept his spending low in Q3, using only $18,583.30 for mostly administrative fees, which allowed him to save most of his money for the future stages of the race.
Mike Russo
Hoboken 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo hasn’t officially declared his candidacy for Jersey City mayor, but his fundraising suggests he might be preparing for a run.
In Q3, Mike Russo raised $88,300, bringing his total cash on hand to $285,297.54.
Russo’s campaign has received financial backing from several notable donors, including:
- $2,600 from Luis Alamo, Founder and President of Alamo Insurance.
- $1,000 from Joe Barry, Co-Founder of Applied Companies.
- $1,000 from Larry Bijou, Managing Partner at Bijou Development.
Former Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia also contributed $2,600 to Russo’s campaign and $1,000 from the New Jersey State Laborers union.
These contributions, along with relatively light spending, show that Russo is carefully managing his resources as he prepares for a potential run for mayor.
Russo has kept his expenses low since he spent only $24,095.38 in Q3.
And a significant portion of this went toward media and consulting services.
For instance, Springfield-based Activate Media was paid $6,000, while Caleb McDermott from San Francisco was compensated $4,000 for consulting services.
Additionally, Social Status Co., based in Scotch Plains, received $3,000 for its role in Russo’s campaign.
By controlling his spending, Russo ensures that he has enough cash on hand to make a strong push should he officially declare his candidacy.
The Road Ahead for Jersey City’s Mayoral Candidates
With more than a year to go until the 2025 election, the race for Jersey City mayor is already shaping up to be a fierce competition.
Fundraising will continue to be a major factor as candidates work to build their war chests and plan their strategies for reaching voters.
Jim McGreevey has set a high bar with his fundraising success, but other candidates like Bill O’Dea, Mussab Ali, and James Solomon show they have the financial and community support to stay in the race.
At the same time, Joyce Watterman and Mike Russo face their challenges, with Watterman needing to close the fundraising gap and Russo waiting in the wings as a potential candidate.
As Election Day approaches, the candidates will need to balance fundraising, spending, and outreach efforts to win over Jersey City voters.
The mayoral race is still developing, and the candidates’ Q4 reports will offer more insight into how their campaigns are progressing.
For now, the Q3 reports reveal a diverse group of candidates, each with their financial strategies and challenges, all vying for a chance to lead Jersey City into the future.
