Former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey tried to stage a political comeback in Jersey City but was defeated in a mayoral runoff by Councilman James Solomon, a younger progressive who appealed to the city’s left-leaning voters. The loss follows a recent pattern of once-prominent Democratic figures failing to reclaim local power, and it highlights how voters favor new faces over attempts at redemption.
Tuesday’s runoff ended McGreevey’s bid to return to elected office after a crowded nonpartisan race earlier left no candidate with a majority. Solomon, 41, emerged as the winner over the 68-year-old ex-governor, and his victory signals a clear preference for generational change in Jersey City politics. The tone in the city favored someone perceived as forward-looking rather than a comeback narrative.
Both top contenders were Democrats, but the runoff setup came because seven candidates split the vote in the general election and none reached the threshold to win outright. In a place that leans left, the contest became less about party labels and more about vision and momentum. Local voters tossed the familiar playbook aside and backed a candidate whose resume felt more in step with present concerns.
Solomon will take over from Mayor Steven Fulop, who himself tried and failed to move up to the governor’s office earlier this year. First elected to the council in 2017, Solomon brings experience as an adjunct instructor and time spent in municipal offices elsewhere, which gave him practical chops voters respected. His prior work in the municipal teams of other mayors read as hands-on training for running a complex, growing city.
McGreevey’s political history is unique and messy, which complicated his comeback. A one-time state lawmaker, he was elected governor in 2001 but stepped down in 2004 amid a scandal that included his public coming-out and disclosures about an aide. He said he took part in an extramarital affair with a male staffer who he had named as New Jersey’s homeland security adviser. The adviser denied he had an affair with the governor and claimed he had been sexually harassed.
After leaving office, McGreevey turned to nonprofit work focused on reentry and recovery programs, trying to reframe his legacy around service. He now describes himself as a “champion of second chances,” leaning on that theme as the emotional core of his mayoral pitch. That narrative has appeal, but in this race it wasn’t enough to overcome voters’ appetite for new leadership.
This outcome mirrors another high-profile defeat back in New York, where former Governor Andrew Cuomo also failed in an effort to return to elected office after resigning amid multiple scandals. Cuomo’s attempt to regain influence ended with a loss to a younger progressive in the mayoral primary and again when he ran as an independent in the general election. Those back-to-back misfires showed how political baggage can be difficult to shed, even for established names.
What stands out is the broader lesson for would-be comebacks inside the Democratic coalition: personal rehabilitation and nonprofit good works do not automatically translate into votes. Voters in cities like Jersey City are asking for leaders who match their current priorities rather than candidates trying to reclaim past glory. The result gave a clear signal that the local electorate prefers fresh faces and progressive energy over the politics of nostalgia.
