1992 & 1993 Jersey City Mayoral Elections

The 1992 Jersey City Mayoral Election—a 19 Candidate contest, held in a nonpartisan fassion, under the cloud of Scandal as Mayor Gerald McGann who was convicted on 15 counts of financial crimes—Resulted in the election of Jersey City's GOP first mayor in 75 years.

The winner, who amassed 17.6% of the vote, was 1991 SD-31 GOP nominee, 1987 property reevaluation protest leader, and Wall Street Businessman Bret Schundler.

While after this win he would become a darling of the NJ GOP's right wing, eventually feuding with Future governor Christine Todd Whitman over Taxes and School choice, most of the reason for his win came from division and chaos within the democratic party

Here, it wasn't just that multiple Dems ran, but rather multiple strong Democrats ran; with this Lineless election seeing Hudson Dem endorsee; Freeholder Luis Manzo, Council President & acting mayor Marilyn Roman, Assemblyman Joseph Charles, & At-Large councilwoman Willie Flood

In addition to these, Louis Manzo's brother, Allen Manzo, also ran—with this aspect of the contest becoming so acrimonious that their mother actively endorsed Louis calling him "the real Manzo".

This, combined with averse ballot placement for Louis had the action of likely off multiple votes, potentially allowing Schundler to win.

But in the end, Schundler did win. And with his win, he chose to take Jersey City in a financially conservartive directon, seeking to cut taxes, taking a 25% pay cut, and drawing up plans to sell the city's tax delinquint properties to investors.

A few months after his November 1992 win, in May he would win a whopping near 40% win, carrying every ward except the predominantly african american Ward F—where he still carried 40% of the vote, and dominating in the Whitest Ward of the city, Ward D.

Despite a campaign by Manzo here to "vote Democratic" Schundler—in opposing Jersey City's history of machine politics corruption—was able to win reelection despite being a republican, sweeping in a slate of candidates who supported him into power (though all were registered Dems.

After his loss, Manzo would ascribe the reason to jersey city not wanting to kick out someone they only put in office only 5 months prior—in essense, that Schundler hadn't been in office long enough to be given a fair shot.

Shundler would remain as mayor until forgoing reelection to run for governor in 2001, where he would win the GOP primary despite opposition from the State's Republican leaders, helping then Woodbridge Mayor, and now current JC mayoral candidate Jim McGreevy win the governorship