4 Council Candidates Have Announced Early For Fall 2023 Hoboken Race

HOBOKEN, NJ — Six of the nine seats on the Hoboken City Council are up for election in November, and since the elections are non-partisan, candidates were not required to file to run in the primaries by the deadline this past Monday. Instead, they must file by Sept. 5.

However, the race is already taking shape.

Two incumbent members of the nine-member City Council have already said they'll run for re-election — and they have at least one opponent each.

In January, Paul Presinzano, who ran unsuccessfully for Hoboken council in 2021, said he'll run for the 1st Ward seat currently held by Michael DeFusco.

DeFusco, who was narrowly beaten out by Ravi Bhalla for mayor back in 2017, already has said he'll run for re-election to the council.

Presinzano said in his announcement earlier this year, "I decided to run after speaking with numerous residents, hearing that the status quo is unacceptable and needs to change. Ward 1 deserves an available and present councilperson, which will be my top priority."

His 25-year career in finance brought him to Hoboken in 1996. Paul married his wife, Ritu, in 2014, and they have a young son.

According to his release, "Instead of fading back into the community, he chose a path to learn, watch, and identify what makes Hoboken awesome. In that process, he recognized what needed to be done better. His career and life experiences give him a unique set of problem-solving skills so badly needed in the City Council...Paul isn't part of the machine. He is part of the solution to fix it."

Presinzano posts his daily take on municipal issues on social media.

Presinzano said, "A robust process coupled with transparency are the pillars of good government. If elected, I will accomplish this with a focus on community building and working to make sure the voters are making the decisions, not the select few insiders."

DeFusco said, about running again, "I am deeply honored to serve the people of the first ward and am proud of the progress we have made together. I have worked tirelessly to improve my district, from securing a new location for the public works garage that will enhance the residential character of our neighborhood to bringing retail kiosks to Pier A, securing funding for Court Street repairs, and working to bring CitiBike to Hoboken. I am thrilled to have played a crucial role in securing nearly $180 million for the historic restoration of Lackawanna Terminal, which will bring a long-awaited European-style market and food hall to our district, creating jobs and new business opportunities for our community."

He also accused Presinzano of using his new "civic association" for political gain.

He also responded to rumors that he's made a deal with Mayor Ravi Bhalla, whom he has criticized at times in the past. In fact, last year, Bhalla's allies on the council put out a series of press releases that targeted DeFusco, but those have since quieted down. DeFusco also was pictured this week with Bhalla's former chief of staff, John Allen, who filed in the legislative primary this week.

"I can assure you that there is no deal in place with the mayor or anyone else to avoid opposition in my re-election campaign," DeFusco said earlier this year. "As a political leader with 13 years of experience in public life, and 20 years in business, I have learned the importance of understanding when to take a stand and when to come to the table. In doing so, my efforts recently saved the city $200,000,000 dollars by avoiding the use of eminent domain in the relocation of the public works garage site, and helped to acquire the academy bus complex in a fair and just way."

DeFusco has shown some independence in his voting recently, including on an ordinance to make recent revisions to rent control amendments.

The 1st Ward includes the southern waterfront and train station area.

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5th Ward Election

As reported last month, 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, an ally of Mayor Bhalla, is being challenged by Liz Urtecho. Read more here.

The 5th Ward is the northwest corner of town.

Early announcements allow candidates to begin the fundraising process early as well. And they may need it; even in elections for a city that's a mile square in area, candidates have raised more than $200,000 to run.

Hoboken Voter Information And Deadlines

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