Who's Running For Hoboken Mayor And Council? Bhalla Reveals Slate

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Councilwoman Emily Ball Jabbour are running for re-election on Nov. 2, their campaign team announced Wednesday, along with two council newcomers: Joe Quintero and Dini Ajmani.

In November, the mayoralty is up for election, as are three seats on the nine-member City Council.

In Hoboken, municipal elections are not partisan (Republicans vs. Democrats). Instead, individuals or slates can run against each other. In past elections, as many as six slates have run for mayor and council positions.

So far, Bhalla's slate is the first to formally announce — and may be hard to beat, considering Bhalla's incumbency and sizeable war chest.

Any other candidates for the mayoralty or for City Council must file to run by Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.

Doyle Declines To Run

Two-term Councilman Jim Doyle, a Bhalla ally, has decided not to run again, according to a release from the Bhalla campaign.

“I know first-hand how hard and effectively Emily Jabbour works as a councilperson, and she always has the best interest of Hoboken residents front and center,” he said in a release. “Joe Quintero and Dini Ajmani will bring to the council both smarts and a strong commitment to Hoboken."

Who Are Jabbour, Quintero, and Ajmani?

Jabbour has been very active in local volunteer work. She also founded the Hudson County chapter of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots advocacy group focused on preventing gun violence.

"Emily Jabbour has led the fight to make Hoboken a safer place to walk, bike, and drive," noted the release, "and she has been at the forefront of helping our small businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic."

Jabbour helped to launch FLAG, the Front Line Appreciation Group; regularly volunteered to deliver meals to senior residents during the peak of COVID-19. She also worked with a group of residents to establish the Hoboken Little Free Library program and volunteers with the food pantry.

Professionally, Jabbour works full-time as a Senior Social Science Research Analyst for the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Social Work.

Joe Quintero is an attorney who works to ensure that banks comply with federal and state regulations, the release says. He also serves as one of the vice-chairs of the Hoboken Democratic Committee. The son of Colombian immigrants, Quintero is a graduate of University of Massachusetts-Amherst and received his law degree from Fordham Law School.

Ajmani serves as assistant treasurer for the State of New Jersey. In this role, she's responsible for pension and health benefits for the state’s public employees, the NJ Lottery, and the managing of the state’s public debt. Ajmani also serves on the board of New Jersey Transit on behalf of the State Treasurer. Prior to her service in the public sector, Ajmani worked for more than two decades in the financial services, including stints at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.

Currently, Ajmani also serves as a commissioner on the Hoboken Planning Board and as a Democratic Committeewoman. She earned a Master’s in Computer Sciences from University of Texas and an MBA from Stanford University.

“Together, Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, Joe Quintero and Dini Ajmani provide a proven track record of success, deep professional experience that will serve our city well, and an infusion of new energy,” said Bhalla.

Will Anyone Else Run?

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who is sometimes at odds with Bhalla about local issues, encouraged other people in Hoboken to run for office in a newsletter on Wednesday.

"Have you ever thought about running for local office?" she wrote. "In case you didn’t realize, we have an election coming up in November for mayor and three at-large City Council seats. As of this writing, it looks like Mayor Bhalla and his slate of three City Council candidates including just one incumbent will run unopposed. Elections with only one candidate for each office are not very democratic. #MoreChoicesAreBetter."

She encouraged people to reach out to her if they want to run or "sign a ballot petition to help other independent candidates get on the ballot."

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