Tonight, I’ll share thoughts on Mike Russo which I have done before — because for many, he is the candidate we cannot afford to see as mayor. His long record shows a pattern of backroom and transactional politics and putting special interests first, and residents last.

• In 2009, he was caught on FBI surveillance offering to sell the influence of his office to Solomon Dwek, the same federal informant who bribed Hoboken’s former Mayor Peter Cammarano. Full story: RussoCorruption.com.

• In 2015, while running unopposed in the 3rd Ward, his campaign paid over 200 Housing Authority 4th and 5th ward residents over $18,000 as “campaign workers.” Since they weren’t working for his own uncontested campaign, the only explanations are: (1) they were working in other races, which should have been disclosed or (2) they were paid to vote in those races.  Either way, it’s illegal — and strikingly similar to the cash-for-votes scheme that sent Frank Raia to jail in 2019.

• Also in 2015, Russo hired Arkady to work on his campaign, the consulting firm of Sean Caddle, a New Jersey political operative later sentenced in 2023 for hiring two people in 2014 to murder his associate in Jersey City. (To be clear, I do not believe Mike had anything to do with that crime).

• In 2021, he struck deals with Mayor Bhalla and joined Team Bhalla giving Emily, Joe, Phil and Jim the crucial fifth vote on key issues.  In return, he was named Council President in 2022 and Council Vice President in 2023 and avoided Bhalla-backed opponents in his 2023 3rd ward race. He even told me in 2023: “I don’t know why the rest of you don’t do the same.”

• In 2023, he pushed the city to purchase parcels next to the firehouse at 2nd & Jefferson under the guise of expanding the firehouse. The seller profited about $300,000 on the flip, then donated $25,000 to Russo’s campaign, and was overheard expecting redevelopment rights. Afterwards, Russo pushed to have the property appraised as if the city might sell it back. I pushed back and stopped this from happening.

• That same year, he listed business and campaign-funded expenses as personal liabilities in his personal bankruptcy filing — one of several issues investigated by the court as potential fraud and had removed from the final settlement.

  Campaign funding issues:

• In 2025, he violated ELEC laws by raising money under two campaign committees at once, while using it all to fund his mayoral run and raising funds that exceeded individual donor caps.

• Over 70% of his current contributions come from developers and special interests.

• He has taken hundreds of thousands from property owners who oppose rent control.  Including his largest donor, Applied/Ironstate, who has given over $100,000 and let him blanket their properties with campaign signs. Applied controls thousands of units, many that should be under rent control but aren’t — and most of the Shipyard development will fall under rent control soon. The next mayor must enforce these laws — do you think Russo will, after taking six figures from their owners?

• At least one, possibly two, dark money super PACs totaling nearly $300,000 are backing him, fueled by vendors and developers looking for city contracts.

My experience with Mike on the City Council has mostly been collegial — we’re generally aligned on parking as the two biggest proponents and he co-sponsored the Tests and Vests ordinance that I co-authored with Paul.  So curbing reckless e-bikes is a top priority for both of us.  He recently said he thinks we should revisit the master plan, and I agree.  

But where it matters most, he’s on the wrong side. On development, he sits with the developers, not the residents — I’ve seen it first-hand, repeatedly. On the budget, he’s never done the work; his first attempt was this year and started with the wrong numbers.

At last week’s Library Forum, Mike told the crowd — convincingly — that he was independent, had never run on a mayor’s ticket, and always put residents first. I could not let that go unchecked. I spoke out and pointed to the $100K donation from Applied and his vote-trading to avoid a mayor-backed opponent.

His response? “I don’t have the means to self-fund, so I have to take money like this.”

Read that again.

That’s not independence — that’s self-preservation at the expense of Hoboken residents.

Electing Mike Russo as Mayor — to lead our city and set the tone from the top —  would take Hoboken backwards, to a time when leaders served themselves first and residents last. That is why I am running, why I am speaking out, and why I hope you do not vote for him.