2 Democratic Socialists Take Office In NJ's Second Largest City: What Does It Mean?

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The second largest city in New Jersey is preparing to welcome several new council members this month — including a pair who bucked the traditional two-party system.

Jake Ephros and Joel Brooks, who ran as Democratic Socialists, won their Nov. 4 races to represent individual Jersey City council neighborhoods, a rare occurrence in a state where partisan elections are usually awarded to a Democrat or Republican.

"Affordability" has become the rallying cry among several local officials taking office this Jan. 15, including incoming Jersey City Mayor James Solomon (who ran as a Democrat). The two Socialist council candidates have likewise promised to focus on economic issues in a city whose rents have become among the highest in the nation: READ MORE: Rents In Jersey City And Hoboken Are Highest In Country

What To Expect

Ephros will represent Jersey City Heights, atop the Palisades cliffs to the west of Hoboken. The area is known for a restaurant and arts scene and several parks. Unlike many neighborhoods in Jersey City, the Heights lacks direct train access and water access, although residents can take an elevator down the hill to use the light rail in Hoboken.

Ephros was the first candidate to announce a run for the Ward D seat, ultimately beating Catherine Healy, the daughter of a former mayor and a candidate who ran on the slate of ex-Gov. James McGreevey.

Last week, Ephros laid out his mission for Patch: "In my mind, the government is obligated to use every power at their disposal, every time, to protect the people, not billionaires' profits. That’s how I plan to govern, and it’s why I believe so strongly in policies like universal rent control and safe, clean, green streets."

Ephros may have tough issues to address. As reported in Patch, the Heights' 153-year-old Heights University Hospital was largely shut down in November by new owners, who are keeping a few essential services.

And several apartment complexes in Jersey City, taken over by corporations in the last decade, are embroiled in legal battles with tenants over the rents. READ MORE: Tenants File $400M Federal Lawsuit Against Corporate Landlord In Hudson County

Further west in the city, Joel Brooks represents Ward B.

"The birth of my daughter has only made my commitment to democratic socialism stronger," he told Patch. "I’ve always known that a better world was possible, but now, I acutely feel the responsibility of bringing about that world; it’s hard not to when you’re holding a baby.

"That’s what being in DSA is all about. It’s about understanding the possibility of a community that is vested in each other, and fighting for it.”

What's A Democratic Socialist?

In America, critics sometimes confuse Socialists with Communists, evoking the "Red Scare" period in America in which people were falsely labeled Communists.

A campaign spokesman for Brooks and Ephros said that the country already uses some Socialist-type systems, noting, "K-12 education is a public good, as are the library and firefighting. So why shouldn't we think of how we can make the public goods of housing, transit, and healthcare in reach for working-class people?

The Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist group in the country, counted 14 wins during this election cycle among its supporters.

Ephros and Brooks each drew more than 60 percent of their voters, the highest total for the group.

Other candidates include Zohran Mamdani, who took office as New York City mayor on Thursday.

So, What Does It Mean?

The New York Times explained, in an early story about Mamdani, "The simplest way to understand democratic socialism, from an academic standpoint, is as an ideology rooted in its opposition to capitalism and wanting to shift power to workers from corporations."

The Democratic Socialists of America, to which the Jersey City candidates belong, calls it "a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society."

The differences among capitalism, communism, fascism, and socialism are clarified in this chart.

Ephros and Brooks' campaign manager said "fear-mongering tactics" were used against both candidates during the campaign.

"We look forward to making Jake and Joel’s plans for universal childcare, universal rent control, and safe, clean, green streets a reality," he said. Read more about the candidates' election victory here.

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