Steven Fulop introduced Tuesday he won’t run for a fourth time period as mayor of Jersey City in 2025, which ramped up hypothesis that he plans to run for governor that very same yr.
The Democrat was elected to a 3rd mayoral time period in 2021, the primary mayor to take action for the reason that reign of legendary boss Frank Hague, who led town from 1917 to 1947. Fulop is standard in Jersey City — he received his first re-election bid, in 2017, with 78% of the vote.
“You never know where life takes you next, but at this point I just want to say thank you to #JerseyCity for electing me 3 times,” Fulop tweeted on Tuesday, responding to a tweet that instructed he had his eye on the governor’s race. “I love this city + there is no better community. I know for certain that I won’t be running for re-election as mayor in 2025.”
In 2016, Fulop was thought-about by many political observers to be the favourite within the Democratic main for governor, however he abruptly dropped out of the race 11 months earlier than the vote, which in the end paved the way in which for now-Gov. Phil Murphy to win election.
Fulop, 45, has a resume made for a profitable politician. He’s the son of immigrants — his mom is a Jewish Holocaust survivor and his father fought in Israel’s Six Day Conflict. He labored on Wall Road and left to serve within the Marine Corps in Iraq. He was elected to the Jersey City Council in 2005 and was first elected mayor in 2013.
“He’s articulate. He can be funny. He looks like a politician,” stated Matthew Hale, political science professor at Seton Corridor College.
However Hale says Fulop has by no means excelled at retail politics and cited a visit on the annual New Jersey Chamber of Commerce journey to Washington — the place attendance is successfully required for anybody working for workplace in New Jersey.
“Phil Murphy and Steve Fulop were both on the train. And I remember being on that train and watching Phil Murphy with the joy of a 12-year-old on Christmas Day, running up and down, shaking everybody’s hand and smiling,” Hale stated. “Fulop looked like he was going to the dentist.”
However Fulop might have realized just a few classes from that first aborted run for governor. Hale stated the announcement to not run again for mayor — two years early — signifies Fulop desires to give attention to the sort of politicking that’s onerous to do when additionally working for one other workplace.
“He’s essentially clearing his dance card for the next three years so that he can go out and shake those hands and try and make those connections,” Hale stated.
Fulop made a reputation for himself early when he went public with the strong-arming ways of officers and political operatives tied to then-Gov. Chris Christie, who used rewards and punishments to persuade endorsements from mayors — a sample that in the end led to the scandal referred to as Bridgegate.
“Running for office outside the political establishment and standing up to powerful interests to fight for Jersey City’s future has been both incredibly challenging and rewarding,” Fulop stated in a press launch about his determination. “The forward momentum happening in Jersey City is undeniable, and while there is much more work to be done I feel confident that new leaders can build on the foundation we have built while charting their own unique path forward.”
He additionally touted his work on reasonably priced housing, boosting public transportation and hiring extra law enforcement officials.
He stated he’s proud to have reduce pedestrian deaths by means of his “Vision Zero” program, but he by no means spoke out in opposition to City Councilwoman Amy DeGise, who has been charged with a hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist final August. The bicyclist was thrown by means of the air and injured, however survived.
This story has been up to date so as to add quotes from Matthew Hale, political science professor at Seton Corridor College, and to right a reference to when Steve Fulop dropped out of the 2016-2017 main race.