Team Fulop raises $350k for council slate

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop had a huge fundraising haul at an event last night Bayonne, bringing in $350,000 for his nine-member city council slate.

Fulop and his running mates now have a combined warchest of about $1.75 million, with no announced opposition to his bid for a third term as mayor.

While some ward council candidates have opposition, the big race so far is for the Downtown Ward E race between incumbent James Soliman and Fulop’s running mate, former municipal prosecutor Jake Hudnut.

If no significant mayoral candidate emerges to take on Fulop, the warchest could be used to flip the mayor’s old council seat and boost Hudnut’s chances.

Seven of the nine incumbent councilmembers are running with Fulop.

Councilman At-Large Rolando Lavarro, who ran with Fulop in the past, was replaced on the ticket by Hudson County Democratic Chair Amy DeGise.  Lavarro has not yet announced his intentions regarding the upcoming November non-partisan municipal election.

The fundraiser drew a crowd of Hudson Democratic regulars, including State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City) and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.