Council President Joyce Watterman Endorses Jim McGreevey for Mayor of Jersey City
Council President Joyce Watterman Endorses Jim McGreevey for Mayor of Jersey City
JERSEY CITY, NJ, Jersey City Council President Joyce E. Watterman, the first African American woman ever elected as City Council President, has officially endorsed Jim McGreevey for Mayor of Jersey City.
Watterman, a lifelong minister, educator, and advocate for working families, praised McGreevey’s record of leadership and his deep commitment to Second Chances, affordability, and faith-based service.
“Jim McGreevey has spent his life lifting up those too often left behind,” stated Council President Watterman. “As Mayor of Woodbridge, he rebuilt neighborhoods and balanced budgets with compassion. As Governor, he expanded access to education and environmental protections. Through the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, he has provided over 25,000 men and women returning from prison with a genuine path to employment, healthcare, and dignity. Jim leads with his heart, and he understands that public service is about people, not power.”
A pastor and community leader, Watterman has dedicated her career to empowering those in need. She founded the H.O.P.E. Summer Program, which offers safe and educational programming for children in Jersey City’s neighborhoods, and established Women Working Together for Change, a citywide initiative designed to empower women socially, economically, and politically. As Council President, she has championed affordable housing, economic inclusion, and faith-based partnerships to strengthen communities across Greenville, Bergen-Lafayette, and the Heights.
Both Watterman and McGreevey share a lifelong commitment to service, inclusion, and opportunity. McGreevey’s leadership at the New Jersey Reentry Corporation has yielded measurable results, including a 50% employment rate among program participants, over 18,000 Medicaid enrollments, 13,000 addiction treatment referrals, and numerous medical and behavioral health interventions for returning citizens.
“Joyce Watterman has been a voice of conscience and compassion in Jersey City,” stated Jim McGreevey. “Her leadership as the city’s first African American Council President has brought faith and fairness into government. She understands that our city’s strength comes from its people, from every neighborhood and every family. I am deeply honored by her endorsement, and I look forward to working with her to build a Jersey City that is more affordable, more just, and more united.”
Together, Watterman and McGreevey have pledged to expand job training and reentry services, strengthen affordable housing initiatives, and ensure that every resident, from the waterfront to West Side Avenue, shares in the promise of Jersey City’s progress.
Their shared vision is one rooted in faith, equity, and service: a Jersey City where no one is invisible and every voice is valued.
