Runoff night in Jersey City with a shock in Ward E

Four wards in Jersey City had runoff elections today with three favorites winning in Wards A, B & C.

Denise Ridley is far ahead of Joe Conte in Ward A. Far ahead. She will take over for Frank Gajewski.

The boss shivved Chris Gadsden in Ward B, turning loose (and Gadsden put out the video to prove it) dirty politickers with former council member Phil Kenny and even council President Rolando Lavarro on scene where campaign materials were being 'fiddled' with. Mira Prinz-Arey sidled up to the Fulop machine and handily beat Gadsden today. Ward B loses a fine young talent on council in our opinion.

Ward C sees the return of Rich Boggiano who ran independently of Fulop but still won the runoff vs John Hanussak. Boggiano gonna Boggiano.

Which brings us to Ward E which will, for the next four years be "Unbought and Unbossed" as James Solomon pulls the upset over media and endorsement favorite Rebecca Symes. Symes had all the momentum, all the television ads, all the local endorsements from government groups, local businesses, style bloggers and even outgoing Councilwoman Candice Osborne. In the end the question Johnny asked on the first election night, would the Hudnut and Grillo vote move to Solomon and apparently at least some of it did. Johnny also heard from more than one person the whole ChicPea incident however well intentioned, didn't help. This was not Johnny picking that scab, this was people discussing it around him. There were also claims of a nasty push campaign in Ward E. We'll have time to go over all these races but tonight is, as an old boss of Johnny's used to call it, 'The quick and dirty" analysis.