Alexander Hamilton's Taking His Shot In A Jersey City Election This November

JERSEY CITY, NJ — It's an important job, and an unpaid job. And apparently it's worthy of Alexander Hamilton — no, not the American statesman who died one day after being shot in a duel in Weehawken in July, 1804.

This Alexander Hamilton is actually named Vernon Alexander Hamilton, but he often drops the first name — and he filed on Monday to run for re-election to a seat the Jersey City Board of Education on Nov. 8.

Hamilton is one of eight people who filed on Monday to run for three seats on the nine-member board.

More than 26,000 students attend Jersey City's 39 public schools.

Controversy Over His Name

In 2019, there was some controversy over his being listed as Alexander. The Hudson County clerk disqualified him at first because he didn't use his full name, the New York Daily News reported at the time.

Nevertheless, he won that duel, then won a spot on the board.

"Though named after his father Vernon, he always went by the more historical first name," the story said, noting that his mother called him by his middle name to distinguish him from his father.

A historic neighborhood and landscaped park near downtown Jersey City were named for the statesman in the 1800s.

The modern Alexander Hamilton filed to run on Monday as Alexander again, and has two running mates. They face another slate of three, and two independents.

Those who filed with the Hudson County Clerk by the deadline Monday, with their listed slates and slogans, are:

Jersey City School Board Candidates

Alexander Hamilton — Change for Children

Doris Toni Ervin — Change for Children

Kenny Reyes — Change for Children

Noemi Velazquez — Education Matters

Afaf Muhammad — Education Matters

Christopher Tisdale — Education Matters

Isnel Sanon — Voice for Progress

Ahsan Nawaz — No slogan listed

Learn more about the Jersey City Board of Education here.

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