A new Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey released on October 23 shows James Solomon leading in the Jersey City mayoral race, though the contest remains very close. The poll, conducted from October 21 to 22 among 494 likely voters, found Solomon with 24%, Jim McGreevey at 22%, Bill O’Dea (D-2) at 16%, and Mussab Ali at 10%. The remaining 24% of voters said they were undecided.
The November 4 election will determine who replaces Mayor Steven Fulop, who chose to run for governor instead of seeking a fourth term. Early voting will take place from October 31 through November 2.
Among those certain to vote, Solomon’s support rises slightly to 26%, compared to 21% for McGreevey and 18% for O’Dea. The results suggest that voter turnout could play a critical role in determining the outcome.
- James Solomon leads the latest poll with 24%, followed closely by Jim McGreevey at 22% and Bill O’Dea at 16%, with 24% of voters still undecided.
- McGreevey’s favorability has dropped 14 points since June, signaling waning support ahead of the November 4th election.
- Competing internal polls from O’Dea and Ali’s campaigns highlight a fluid race with multiple possible outcomes and a likely runoff.
Jim McGreevey’s Favorability Declines Sharply Before Election
The PPP survey shows a clear decline in McGreevey’s popularity since the summer. In June, McGreevey’s favorability rating stood at 38% positive and 30% negative (+8). By October, those numbers had fallen to 30% positive and 36% negative (-6) — a 14-point drop overall.
According to the Solomon campaign, the poll reflects what they’ve experienced through community outreach, with voters responding strongly to issues like housing and affordability. The campaign emphasized that they plan to continue direct voter engagement throughout the early voting period.
The poll also analyzed voter preferences among supporters of other candidates. Solomon’s favorability ratio among those voters stands at 20/16, compared to 15/39 for McGreevey — an indicator that Solomon could attract more cross-support if the race moves to a runoff.
Campaign Polls Show Mixed Results Across the Mayoral Field
Other campaign polls released in recent weeks present a more complicated picture of the race. Earlier in the week, the O’Dea campaign shared a Hart Research poll that placed McGreevey at 23%, with both Solomon and O’Dea tied at 20%. The results were described as a three-way statistical tie.
A few days earlier, the Ali campaign released results from a Swayable poll showing McGreevey in the lead, followed by Mussab Ali in second with 17%, placing him ahead of both Solomon and O’Dea.
Following the Hart Research release, the Ali campaign criticized its design, calling it a “classic push poll.” The campaign stated that the poll introduced McGreevey, O’Dea, and Solomon first, using favorable language for O’Dea and unfavorable references to others before mentioning Ali or Council President Joyce Watterman. Even so, Ali’s numbers reportedly doubled O’Dea’s previous performance from his earlier internal survey.
Seven Candidates Competing to Replace Mayor Steven Fulop
The Jersey City mayoral race is nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not appear under a political party on the ballot. If no one secures a majority on November 4, the top two finishers will face each other in a runoff election.
In addition to Solomon, McGreevey, O’Dea, and Ali, the ballot also includes Council President Joyce Watterman, Police Officer Christina Freeman, and Kalki Jayne-Rose.
