JERSEY CITY – With just one day left for candidates wishing to run in the upcoming municipal elections to file their petitions to get on the ballot, all of the frontrunners have already secured their spots. Several independent candidates have also turned in their petitions and will appear on the May 14 ballot alongside the top two mayoral slates.
According to a list supplied by the Office of the City Clerk Friday afternoon, all of the candidates running on Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy’s slate have turned in their petitions and have been certified by City Clerk Robert Byrne, meaning their petitions have been inspected and accepted and their names will appear on the ballot.
Healy’s ticket includes at-large City Council candidates Peter Brennan, Viola Richardson, and Omar Perez; Ward A candidate Dr. Charles Epps; Ward B candidate Gerald Meyers; Ward C candidate Janet Chevres; Ward D candidate Rev. Mario Gonzalez; Ward E candidate Dan Levin; and Ward F candidate Jermaine Robinson.
Candidates running on a rival slate headed by mayoral candidate and City Councilman Steve Fulop were certified several weeks ago. Fulop is running with Frank Gajewski (Ward A); Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal (Ward B); Nidia Lopez (Ward C); Sean Connors (Ward D); Candice Osborne (Ward E); and Diane Coleman (Ward F). Fulop’s at-large candidates are Rolando Lavarro Jr., Joyce Watterman, and Daniel Rivera.
Petitions for an alternative slate headed by mayoral candidate Jerry Walker, which includes Sean Connelly (at-large); Ramon “Ray” Regalado (at-large); and Grace Giron (Ward D) have also been filed.
Several candidates who are not part of a major ticket have also filed their petitions, according to the clerk’s office.
These candidates include mayoral candidate Abdul Malik; Ward A candidates Jayson Berg and Rickey Johnson; Ward B candidates Esther Wintner, Chris Gadsen, and Jesus Tosado; Ward C candidates Richard Boggiano and Imtiaz Syed; Ward D candidate Michael Yun; Fletcher Gensamer in Ward E; and Rev. Deborah King in Ward F.
Some of these independent candidates have yet to have their petitions certified.
Several other people who have declared their candidacies – most notably current Board of Education trustee Sterling Waterman, who plans to run for an at-large City Council seat – have yet to file petitions.
Petitions for the upcoming race are due in the clerk’s office Monday, March 11. – E. Assata Wright