14 People Will Run For 6 Hoboken City Council Spots: Why It Matters

HOBOKEN, NJ — Fourteen people filed on Thursday to run for six seats on Hoboken's nine-member City Council, up for election on Nov. 7.

Each spot represents a different section of the mile-square city (see the six wards on the map here to find out which one is yours.)

You'll only be able to vote for a candidate in your ward.

Tidbits

• The incumbents are facing challenges in each ward except for the 4th Ward, in the southwest corner of town. Ruben Ramos Jr. has represented that ward for more than a decade.
• In the 1st Ward, the section including the train station, Michael DeFusco decided not to run again. Three candidates are vying to fill his spot, including former city Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini.
• Pat Waiters, who is also running for school board, is among three candidates in the 2nd Ward.
• Mayor Ravi Bhalla has given support to candidates in four wards, and did not run candidates in the 3rd and 4th wards. He has declined to run candidates against 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo in the past.

On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the city clerk will hold a ballot drawing to determine the order in which candidates will appear on the ballot.

Here are the candidates who filed on Thursday. To stay on the ballot, the signatures on their nominating petitions (from residents of their ward) have to be valid. Signatures are often challenged by opponents.

Council Candidates Who Filed To Run By The Deadline

1st Ward

Paul Presinzano

Rafi Cordova

Leo Pellegrini

2nd Ward

Incumbent – Council member Tiffanie Fisher

Marla Decker

Pat Waiters

3rd Ward

Incumbent – Council member Michael Russo

Edward Reep- filed

4th Ward

Incumbent – Council member Ruben J. Ramos Jr.

5th Ward

Incumbent – Council member Phil Cohen

Elizabeth “Liz” Urtecho

6th Ward

Incumbent – Council member Jen Giattino

Ian Rintel

Lauren Myers

Salaries And Timing

In 2021, the nine members of the City Council became perhaps the only people in the city who were able to vote to raise their salaries by more than a third. Perhaps this only means they'll get more of a run for their money.

Salaries for Hoboken City Council members are $35,000 for the part-time slots, including $37,500 for the council vice president, and $40,000 for the council president. They also get benefits.

The current council president is Emily Jabbour, but she's an at-large member and thus is not up for re-election this year. The three at-large members always run when the mayor runs, with the next such election scheduled for 2025.

The six ward council members, on the other hand, will run this Nov. 7 and then again in 2027. See which ward you live in here, using the color key in the upper right. You can only run (and vote for your council person) in your own ward.

In Hoboken, where millions of dollar rides on these votes, elections for the seats — considered part-time — have been heated (and sometimes result in criminal investigations).

Are you running? Send your announcement and campaign photo here. Got a letter about a candidate? You can post it here any time using these instructions.