With Mayor Ravi Bhalla stepping aside after two terms, Hoboken faces a contest for its next leader. The mayoral election, held on November 4, 2025, will determine who holds the mayor’s office from 2026 to 2030. Early voting in Hoboken began in late September and runs through early November. To date, six candidates have officially filed to run for mayor, each promising a fresh vision for Hoboken’s future.
Among the early front-runners is Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, a former City Council president known for her focus on constituent services and transparency. Jabbour was born in Boston, MA, and moved to Hoboken in 2008. Jabbour’s campaign emphasizes improving Hoboken’s public schools—an issue she connects to personally as the mother of two daughters in the Hoboken Public School District—along with enhancing public transportation and increasing accessibility within city government. She is relying on appealing to voters seeking steady, informed leadership.
Dini Ajmani, another contender, brings both financial expertise and a deeply personal story to the race. Originally from a small town in India, she credits her parents for instilling her work ethic and resilience. After earning degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University, Ajmani served as Assistant State Treasurer under Governor Phil Murphy and later as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Treasury Department. Now a member of Hoboken’s Planning Board, she lives in the city with her husband and two daughters. Her campaign focuses on fiscal responsibility, housing affordability, and data-driven governance, arguing that her experience leading large organizations has prepared her to address Hoboken’s growth, infrastructure, and public safety challenges.
Councilman Michael Russo, representing Hoboken’s Third Ward, is running as both a neighborhood advocate and a reform-minded candidate with deep local roots. A lifelong resident and the city’s longest-serving councilmember, Russo comes from a family steeped in public service; his father, former Mayor Anthony Russo, and his mother, Michele Russo, both held leadership roles in Hoboken. His campaign combines a hands-on perspective with civic pride, focusing on community safety through a permanent parks patrol, revoking Sunday parking meter fees, and keeping city government visible and accountable.
Another well-known figure, Tiffanie Fisher, current Second Ward councilwoman, has launched her campaign on the promise of reconnecting City Hall with everyday residents. A longtime advocate for residents, Fisher has spent nearly eight years on the City Council emphasizing fiscal responsibility, community engagement, and good governance. Fisher frames her campaign as being focused on finishing major projects, such as the Uptown Waterfront Park, addressing housing affordability, improving infrastructure, and ensuring future development puts residents’ needs before politics. Her message centers on keeping Hoboken’s government accountable, accessible, and always “voting Hoboken first.”
Ruben Ramos Jr., representing the Fourth Ward and a former state assemblyman, brings a “back to basics” message to his mayoral bid. As a lifelong resident, public school teacher, husband, father, and cancer survivor, Ramos emphasizes his commitment to everyday quality-of-life issues like public safety, code enforcement, and support for seniors and children. Ramos also supports a 400-unit recreation complex with 20% of units set aside for affordable housing — a plan he frames as both inclusive growth and a direct investment in the city’s future.
Lastly is Patricia Waiters, a longtime community activist and recurring candidate in local elections. In earlier runs for mayor and other offices, Waiters has consistently emphasized inclusion, social justice, and advocacy for those she views as overlooked by the city’s leadership. She often frames Hoboken’s progress as incomplete until every neighborhood has a voice. Drawing on her years of organizing and campaigning, Waiters argues that real change must come from uplifting underrepresented residents.
Although the election is officially nonpartisan, many of the candidates have ties to local Democratic organizations or have previously served in Democratic roles. Key issues dominating debates include housing affordability, infrastructure improvements, public safety, and transparency in city operations. With new developments reshaping Hoboken’s skyline and rising costs threatening its middle-class identity, each contender is offering a distinct roadmap to balance progress with preservation.
The 2025 mayoral election represents a pivotal moment for Hoboken, a city renowned for its civic engagement and rapid transformation. As early voting begins, residents face a choice among six candidates who—despite differing priorities—all promise the same core message: keeping Hoboken livable, sustainable, and inclusive for the years ahead.
