Hudson County Executive Craig Guy has formally launched his campaign for a second term, entering the race with the backing of ten of the county's twelve mayors well ahead of next year's Democratic primary. Guy, who succeeded longtime County Executive Tom DeGise in 2023, said he's running again to keep advancing county initiatives and to protect Hudson County's immigrant communities.
Guy swept into office in 2023 with 76% of the vote in the Democratic primary against Elenna Little and then ran unopposed in the general election, according to New Jersey Globe. The Hudson County Democratic primary for executive is set for June 2027, and Guy is already building out a coalition for that fight.
Before entering county government, Guy spent more than 25 years as a Jersey City police officer, rising to the rank of lieutenant, according to his NJTPA biography. He later served as chief of staff to DeGise before winning the top county job himself.
Mayoral Support Lines Up Behind Guy
Guy's re-election bid has already drawn endorsements from Mayors Brian Stack of Union City, Albio Sires of West New York, Richard Turner of Weehawken, Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski of Bayonne, Emily Jabbour of Hoboken, Carol Jean Doyle of Kearny, James Fife of Harrison, Dina Grillo of East Newark, Michael Gonnelli of Secaucus and Wayne Zitt of Guttenberg. The ten mayors described Guy as a proven uniter, not a divider, the New Jersey Globe report notes, pointing to his cooperation with municipalities on emergency snow response and food insecurity.
Not on that list are Jersey City Mayor James Solomon and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, the same report states. It's a separate matter from Guy's role as chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, a post he was elected to in 2024 — in that race, a different New Jersey Globe account says Solomon was among the mayors backing Guy for another term as party chairman, alongside Stack and Jabbour.
Guy's campaign has also picked up labor support, with endorsements from the Laborers' International Union of North America and the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, per the same outlet's reporting. The coalition behind Guy has also helped produce a largely unified countywide ticket, with no contested primaries in eight of the county's nine commissioner districts.
Booker Rallies Hudson Democrats at Liberty House Fundraiser
Guy's campaign launch got a boost from a prominent ally: U.S. Sen. Cory Booker appeared at a fundraiser at Liberty House and backed Guy for a second term, telling the crowd, according to Hudson County View, that Hudson County needs leaders like Guy. Jersey City Mayor Solomon stood with Guy at the event, according to the same report.
The three-term senator, who is favored against Republican nominee Justin Murphy in the November 3 election, used the gathering to frame the midterms as a referendum on President Donald Trump. Booker said he believed Hudson County would produce a tsunami rather than a wave in the coming election, and he asked voters to consider re-electing him to the Senate, per Hudson County View's account.
Booker also told the crowd that Trump's actions have driven up gas and consumer prices and harmed healthcare, and he pledged to stop what he described as harmful immigration enforcement, saying voters should reject masked people being taken from streets to for-profit prisons. Rob Menendez served as emcee for the fundraiser, which also drew Anthony Romano, Bill O'Dea, Pam Johnson, Alex Valdez, E. Junior Maldonado, Jeff Dublin, Teresa Ruiz, Raj Mukherji, Will Sampson, Ravi Bhalla, Katie Brennan, Larry Wainstein, Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski and Emily Jabbour, according to the same report. The Hudson County Democratic Organization has also endorsed Booker for re-election.
Separately, Parks Department Fraud Charges Filed
In an unrelated matter, the U.S. Attorney's Office has charged a former Hudson County Parks Department employee with 28 counts of wire fraud, alleging the Bergen County man obtained county payments for work he did not perform and then applied for unemployment benefits tied to that purported work, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint reflects a criminal charge, not a conviction.
