The mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and local ordinances, prepare the annual budget, appoint deputy mayors and department heads, and approve or veto ordinances passed by the Municipal Council. The mayor is popularly elected in a nonpartisan general election. The office is held for a four-year term without term limits.

Since the city was chartered on February 22, 1838, forty-four individuals have held the office of mayor. Dudley S. Gregory was the city's inaugural mayor and served on three occasions for a total of five years. The current mayor is James Solomon who assumed office on January 15, 2026, after defeating former state governor Jim McGreevey, in the December 2025 runoff election.

Duties and powers The City of Jersey City is organized as a mayor–council government under the Faulkner Act. This provides for a citywide elected mayor serving in an executive role and a Municipal Council serving in a legislative role. All of these offices are selected in a nonpartisan municipal election, and all terms are four years.

Under state law, the mayor has the duty to enforce the charter and ordinances of the city and all applicable state laws; report annually to the council and the public on the state of the city; supervise and control all departments of the government; prepare and submit to the council annual operating and capital budgets; supervise all city property, institutions, and agencies; sign all contracts and municipal bonds requiring the approval of the city; negotiate all contracts; and serve as a member, either voting or ex officio, of all appointive bodies.

The mayor has the power to appoint department heads with the Municipal Council's approval and can remove department heads, subject to a two-thirds disapproval by the council. The mayor may also approve or veto ordinances, subject to an override vote of two-thirds of the council, and appoint deputy mayors. The mayor is permitted to attend and participate in Municipal Council meetings without a vote, except in the case of a tie on the question to fill a council vacancy.

Elections

Under the original 1838 charter, mayors were elected citywide for a one-year term. In 1868, the New Jersey Legislature extended the term of office to two years. In 1892, the legislature again changed the term to five years. The city adopted a commission form of government under the Walsh Act in 1913. This form provided for a five-member commission with both executive and legislative powers, elected for four years. The commissioners elected one of their members as mayor. Under this system, the mayor's only specific power was to appoint the school board; otherwise, he was first among equals. Jersey City adopted its current mayor-council form of government on May 7, 1961.

Elections for mayor are held every four years on the date of the general election, which is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election is held on the fourth Tuesday following the general election. The term of office commences on January 15. The latest Jersey City mayoral election was held in 2025.

Succession If the mayor is absent, disabled, or otherwise prevented from performing their duties, the mayor may designate the business administrator or any other department head as acting mayor for up to 60 days. In the event of a vacancy, the President of the Municipal Council becomes acting mayor, and the council has 30 days to name an interim mayor. If no interim mayor is named, the Council President continues as acting mayor until a successor is elected or the council reorganizes and selects a new president. Prior to 1971, there was no automatic succession law. The office was left vacant for 47 days in 1963 when the city council failed to reach a decision on appointing an interim mayor.

Mayors Mayor Took office Left office Tenure Party Election 1 Dudley S. Gregory 2 years Whig TBA 2 Peter McMartin 1 year Unknown TBA 3 Dudley S. Gregory 1 year Whig TBA 4 Thomas A. Alexander 1 year Unknown TBA 5 Peter Bentley Sr. 1 year Democratic TBA 6 Phineas C. Dummer 4 years Whig TBA 7 Henry C. Taylor Whig TBA 8 Robert Gilchrist Whig TBA 9 David S. Manners Whig TBA 10 Samuel Wescott Democratic TBA 11 Dudley S. Gregory Republican TBA 12 Cornelius Van Vorst Democratic TBA 13 John B. Romar Democratic TBA 14 Orestes Cleveland Democratic TBA 15 James Gopsill Republican TBA 16 Charles H. O'Neill Democratic TBA 17 William Clarke Democratic 18 Charles H. O'Neill Democratic TBA 19 Henry Traphagen Democratic TBA 20 Charles Siedler Republican TBA 21 Henry J. Hopper Democratic TBA 22 Isaac W. Taussig Democratic TBA 23 Gilbert Collins Republican TBA 24 Orestes Cleveland Democratic TBA 25 Peter F. Wanser Republican TBA 26 Edward Hoos Democratic TBA 27 Mark M. Fagan Republican TBA 28 H. Otto Wittpenn Democratic TBA 29 Mark M. Fagan Republican TBA 30 Frank Hague Democratic TBA 31 Frank H. Eggers Democratic 32 John V. Kenny Democratic TBA 33 Bernard J. Berry Democratic TBA 34 Charles S. Witkowski"C. S. Witkowski, 86, Jersey City Ex-Mayor", The New York Times, June 3, 1993. Democratic TBA 35 Thomas Gangemi Democratic TBA colspan="3" colspan="4" 36 Thomas J. Whelan Democratic TBA 37 Charles K. Krieger Democratic 38 Paul T. Jordan Democratic TBA 39 Thomas F. X. Smith Democratic TBA 40 Gerald McCann Democratic TBA 41 Anthony R. Cucci Democratic TBA 42 Gerald McCann Democratic TBA 43 Marilyn Roman Democratic 44 Joseph Rakowski Democratic 45 Bret Schundler Republican 1992 special 1993 1997 46 Glenn Cunningham Democratic 2001 47 L. Harvey Smith Democratic 48 Jerramiah Healy Democratic 2004 special 2005 2009 49 Steven Fulop Democratic 2013 2017 2021 50 James Solomon Incumbent Democratic 2025

Notes

Died in office

Higher offices held The following is a list of higher public offices held by mayors, before or after their mayoral terms. Mayor Mayoral term(s) Other offices held References1838–1840, 1841–1842, 1858–1860U.S. Representative (1847–1849)1857–1858New Jersey State Senator (1860–1862)Winfield 1874, p. 3421864–1867, 1886–1892U.S. Representative (1869–1871)1892–1897New Jersey General Assemblyman (1882–1883)2001–2004New Jersey State Senator (2004)2004New Jersey State Senator (2003–2004)New Jersey General Assemblyman (2008–2010)New Jersey Legislative Digest for November 24, 2003. Accessed April 13, 2008. "Senator Joseph Charles, Jr., of the 31st Legislative District, has resigned effective August 18, 2003. L. Harvey Smith was sworn in as a member of the Senate for the 31st Legislative District.""31st Dist: Democrat victories for Cunningham, Smith, Chiappone", The Star-Ledger, November 6, 2007. Accessed December 27, 2007.

See also Timeline of Jersey City, New Jersey

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