1992 Jersey City special mayoral election

none January 2025 September 2023 1992 Jersey City special mayoral election Presidential New Jersey 1989 Jersey City mayoral election 1989 1993 Jersey City mayoral election 1993 November 3, 1992 125px Bret Schundler Nonpartisan politician 10,681 17.6% 125px Louis Manzo Nonpartisan politician 8,914 14.7% 125px Marilyn Roman Nonpartisan politician 7,691 12.7% 125px Joseph Charles Nonpartisan politician 7,205 11.9% 125px Willie Flood Nonpartisan politician 6,216 10.2% 125px James A. McLaughlin Nonpartisan politician 6,037 10.0% 125px Allen Manzo Nonpartisan politician 4,591 7.6% 125px Jaime Vazquez Nonpartisan politician 3,922 6.5% Mayor Joseph Rakowski Nonpartisan politician Bret Schundler Nonpartisan politician 74.86% The 1992 Jersey City special mayoral election was held on November 3, 1992. The election filled a vacancy created when mayor of Jersey City Gerald McCann was convicted on federal criminal charges. It was noted for the large number of competitive candidates and the low threshold for election.1992-10-20 19, Count 'Em, 19 Candidates Run for Mayor in Jersey City (Published 1992) subscription https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/20/nyregion/19-count-em-19-candidates-run-for-mayor-in-jersey-city.html 2025-09-17 en Bret Schundler won with less than 18 percent of the vote to become the first Republican mayor of Jersey City since 1917 and the first elected since 1905.The New Politics of Bret Schundler: Empowerment, Not Entitlement https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-new-politics-of-bret-schundler-empowerment-not-entitlement 2025-09-17 City Journal en Background Gerald McCann, who had been elected to two nonconsecutive terms as mayor of Jersey City in 1981 and 1989, was convicted on fifteen counts of extortion, mail fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion, making false statements to the IRS, and failure to file taxes in connection with a savings and loan association scheme. He was removed from office and barred from seeking re-election. Following McCann's removal by court order on February 7, 1992, the City Council was given thirty days to name an interim mayor but could not agree on a candidate. Marilyn Roman, the council president, was made interim mayor by default. In July, the council named Joseph Rakowski as president, replacing Roman. He pledged not to run in the special election. At the time, Jersey City was notorious for political corruption, and the city government faced a $40 million budget deficit, rising crime, and a failing school system. Young middle-class residents fled the city for the suburbs, leaving the city with an aging population and shrinking property tax base from which to fund services. Procedure Under Jersey City election law at the time, candidates for a special election were required only to collect 100 signatures, and there were no runoff provisions. As a result, a large number of candidates declared for the open seat. Candidates Joseph J. Austin Michael Borseso, former city official (Democratic) Joseph Charles, state assemblyman (Democratic) William Field, Hudson County employee Willie Flood, Jersey City councilor (Democratic) Dolores R. Lemire Robert J. Kenny Allen Manzo, bus company owner and former chair of the Jersey City Democratic organization (Democratic) Louis Manzo, Hudson County freeholder (Democratic) James A. McLaughlin, funeral home owner and former chair of the Jersey City redevelopment agency (Democratic) Israel Mischel Marilyn Roman, Jersey City councilor and former interim mayor (Democratic) Peter Santiana Bret Schundler, retired investment advisor and candidate for state senate in 1991 (Republican) Faoud Shafik Frances D. Thompson, former Jersey City councilor (Democratic) Jim Turner Jaime Vazquez, Jersey City councilor (Democratic) Esmat Zaklama Campaign With nineteen candidates in the race, the special election was particularly contentious. "This year the signs don't stay up as long," said investment banker Bret Schundler, "because you have 18 other people tearing them down." Generally, freeholder Louis Manzo, interim mayor Marilyn Roman, businessman James McLaughlin, and Schundler were considered the leaders in the race, given their ability to advertise on daily cable television. However, other candidates had bases of support throughout the city, particularly in racial minority communities. Louis Manzo, a political enemy of former mayor McCann, had the backing of the Hudson County Democratic organization and was one of the first to announce his candidacy. However, he was opposed by his brother Allen, who had been a McCann ally and filed his candidacy just before the deadline. Allen Manzo won the top ballot position in a drawing by the city clerk and pledged to run an active campaign, after which Louis unsuccessfully sued to have Allen removed from the ballot and changed his slogan to "The Real Manzo". Their mother, Mary, appeared in a commercial for Louis.Wildstein David 2022-01-25 Mary Manzo, whose two sons faced off in '92 Jersey City mayor's race, dies at 102 https://newjerseyglobe.com/in-memoriam/mary-manzo-whose-two-sons-faced-off-in-92-jersey-city-mayors-race-dies-at-102/ 2025-09-17 New Jersey Globe en-US On election eve, Allen Manzo beat Rudolph Conty, a 66-year old man, with a tire iron. The man had been hanging Louis Manzo for Mayor signs from a telephone pole and was hospitalized with a serious head injury. Allen Manzo was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and possession of an unlawful weapon; he pled self defense.1992-11-05 THE 1992 ELECTIONS: THE REGION -- MAYOR'S RACE; Schundler, Jersey City's Mayor-Elect, Gets Ready to Battle Anew (Published 1992) subscription https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/05/nyregion/1992-elections-region-mayor-s-race-schundler-jersey-city-s-mayor-elect-gets.html 2025-09-17 en The candidates general agreed on the need to stabilize taxes and increase neighborhood policing. Schundler distinguished himself from the field through his support for a voucher system to enable parents to send their children to private schools. Although the race was nonpartisan, Schundler was known to be a Republican following his campaign for state senate in 1991 and led a coalition opposing the recent increase in property taxes following a series of reassessments by the city. Candidates made special efforts to appeal to the senior citizen population by campaigning at church bingo nights and at housing centers ahead of bus trips to Atlantic City. Results Candidate VotesNovember 10, 1992 General Election - November 3, 1992: Statement of Canvas https://cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6189660/File/City%20Hall/City%20Clerk/Municipal%20Election%20Results/Special%20Election%20-%2011-03-1992%20-%20Mayor%20Only.pdf September 17, 2025 Office of the Hudson County Clerk PercentBret Schundler10,68117.61%Louis Manzo8,91414.69%Marilyn Roman7,69112.68%Joseph Charles7,20511.88%Willie Flood6,21610.25%James A. McLaughlin6,0379.95%Allen Manzo4,5917.57%Jaime Vazquez3,9226.46%Michael Borseso1,8983.13%Jim Turner1,0361.71%Frances D. Thompson5550.91%Fouad Shafik4170.69%Dolores R. Lemire3340.55%Israel Mischel3130.52%Esmat Zaklama2330.38%William Field2020.33%Peter J. Santiana1500.25% Joseph J. Austin 135 0.22%Robert J. Kenny1320.22%Other5Votes60,667100.00% Ballots cast 67,152Eligible voters89,692 Observers attributed Schundler's victory to the split in the black vote and the presence of Allen Manzo, who siphoned more than 3,900 votes from his brother in a race decided by fewer than 1,700. An election to fill the unexpired city council term of Marilyn Roman, held the same day, attracted another twenty candidates. Former mayor Anthony R. Cucci won the seat. Aftermath Despite consensus that Schundler's election as a conservative Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic city was a fluke resulting from the large and divided field of Democratic candidates, he was re-elected to a full four-year term in May 1993 with 68 percent of the vote. His position elevated him to the status of a national political celebrity by 1994.1994-02-09 For National G.O.P., a Mayor as a Poster Boy; Schundler, an Unabashed Conservative, Wants to Use Image to Help Jersey City (Published 1994) subscription https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/09/nyregion/for-national-gop-mayor-poster-boy-schundler-unabashed-conservative-wants-use.html 2025-09-17 en Schundler later ran unsuccessfully for governor of New Jersey in 2001 and 2005 before briefly serving as Commissioner of Education in the cabinet of Governor Chris Christie in 2010. References Category:1992 New Jersey elections 1992 Category:1992 United States mayoral elections Category:November 1992 in the United States