The Hoboken Girl Team 
In anticipation of the non-partisan municipal elections that Hoboken has on the horizon on November 4th, The Hoboken Girl reached out to the candidates running to be Hoboken’s new mayor about their vision for the city. We also sourced questions from readers + residents for the candidates to address what matters most to Hobokenites. We have broken down the Q+A into a series with questions grouped by topic. There is also an article with the full Q+A organized per candidate here. Read on for the mayoral candidates’ responses to questions regarding their background and qualifications to lead the Mile Square City.
Editor’s note: This article presents all of the candidates’ answers in full. Four other articles have the candidates’ answers grouped by subject. Please find those links below. All candidates and their campaigns were invited to participate. All of these responses are published alphabetically. The Hoboken Girl does not endorse candidates, nor do we allow for any political advertising on our website or social media for political candidates.
The Hoboken Girl: How long have you lived in Hoboken?
Dini Ajmani: 10 years.
Tiffanie Fisher: 31 years
Emily Jabbour: 17 years.
Ruben Ramos: Lifelong resident.
Michael Russo: I’m Hoboken born and raised, graduated from Hoboken High School (and its football program), and today my beautiful wife Lisa and I are raising our four children here. Through a twist of fate and irony, my kids get to grow up in the same apartment that I grew up in. I love that life comes full circle that way sometimes.
Patricia Waiters: did not respond
The Hoboken Girl: What is your background/experience in how it relates to local politics, and why are you running for mayor?
Dini Ajmani: In making the decision to run, I asked three questions. What does the city need, do I have the skills to meet the need, is the rest of field equipped for the same. City needs someone with management experience and budget acumen. Till recently, I was a senior official at the US Treasury, Asst. Treasurer for New Jersey and have worked on Wall Street. I have a MBA from Stanford University.
Tiffanie Fisher: I’ve served on the Hoboken City Council for nearly 10 years. Professionally, I’m a former CFO and seasoned real estate finance executive with over 23 years of experience leading large, complex projects, budgets, and companies. I’ve brought this experience and financial discipline to Hoboken—cutting tax increases that saved $35M, negotiating a better water contract that freed up $33M to invest in upgrades, founding the Hoboken Business Alliance, spearheading resiliency and infrastructure projects like Rebuild by Design, and advocating for policies to protect tenants and small businesses. I’m running for mayor because Hoboken needs a different kind of mayor – someone with the experience to run the city well and deliver from day one. I’m ready to be that different kind of mayor – one who will keep her sleeves rolled up and make sure city government works for the people it serves.
Emily Jabbour: For the past 8 years, I have had the honor to serve the city as a Councilperson-at-Large. I got into politics after Mayor Dawn Zimmer – the first female Mayor of Hoboken – suggested that I consider running for office. I came to meet Mayor Zimmer after founding the Hudson County Chapter of Moms Demand Action, having witnessed an active shooter drill at my daughter’s Pre-K program and feeling compelled to take action. By training, I am a social worker and have spent my 19-year career serving the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. I feel that my candidacy for Mayor is a progression of my existing commitment and track record serving the people of Hoboken in big and small ways – whether that’s advocating for safe streets as part of Vision Zero, supporting additional police officers to keep Hoboken safe, or addressing every day issues like potholes and trash to keep our city a desirable place to live, work, and play.
Ruben Ramos: As a Council member, former State Assemblyman, public school teacher, cancer survivor, husband, father and lifelong Hoboken resident, I’m running for Mayor to get our city back to basics by delivering for the community on critical priorities like public safety, quality of life, programs for children and seniors, and housing affordability.
Michael Russo: I’m the longest-serving member of the Hoboken City Council in modern history; I’ve spent more than 20 years fighting for my neighbors. Whether the issue is flooding, rats in your building, or a looming eviction, I’ve taken literally thousands of phone calls from residents and helped them with countless everyday problems. Those experiences have formed my campaign for Mayor. I’m running to bring a practical, service-first approach to City Hall: restore safety and basic quality of life, expand middle-class housing supply without displacement, finally tackle our parking and traffic nightmare, and make sure residents don’t face exorbitant tax increases when the economy has many at their breaking point.
Patricia Waiters: did not respond
The Hoboken Girl: What endorsement for your candidacy are you most proud of and why?
Dini Ajmani: Residents of Hoboken who have been an amazing source of encouragement. My candidacy is all about making their life better.
Tiffanie Fisher: I’m most proud of the support from neighbors across every ward. This campaign is powered by the community—hundreds of volunteers and donors who believe Hoboken deserves a mayor focused on them, not political insiders. That grassroots trust means more to me than any political endorsement.
Emily Jabbour: I am most proud of the 5,684 votes that I received in the 2021 election for my re-election to the City Council from constituents, small business owners, and senior citizens – all are my neighbors in our Mile Square. These votes are my highest endorsement.
Ruben Ramos: Councilman Paul Presinzano, because as a fellow sitting Council member he has worked closely not just with myself but with three of the other mayoral candidates, and he’s decided that I am the best choice for Mayor.
Michael Russo: If you go on my website, russoforhoboken.com, you’ll see endorsement videos from the people who count the most: our neighbors here in Hoboken. Those kind words from people who I’ve had the pleasure of serving over the years mean more than they know.
While the screening and endorsement process for many organizations is still ongoing, I’ll also use the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters as an example. Labor endorsements matter because I’m a fighter for the working class. Frankly, when I’m Mayor there will be a lot of housing and other projects that need to be built… and I look forward to getting that done with decent paying union jobs with the highest safety standards and maximum accountability.
Patricia Waiters: did not respond
The Hoboken Girl: There are so many communication tools that are online (as in, social media, newsletters, Nixle, website), but not every resident has access. How are you going to communicate with residents as mayor to ensure access to information?
Dini Ajmani: I will partner up with popular platforms like “Hoboken Girl” to get the message out. Hoboken is a walking city. I would use the LED screens at the EV charging stations, billboards at the bus shelters, bike stations, etc. to connect.
Tiffanie Fisher: I have sent out over 400 newsletters in the past eight years and provided more information to Hoboken residents on more important issues than anyone. I know the importance of communication — and this will continue. (If you aren’t on my list, email me at [email protected] to sign up! )
Communication is one of my strengths — and it needs to become one of City Hall’s. We must deliver clear, transparent messaging on issues that matter to our community, and we need to do it when people actually need to know it. That means everything from emergency notifications to registration for recreation programs to construction alerts.
As mayor, I will overhaul how the city communicates by creating a clear, centralized system with a residents-first approach — designed to deliver information where people are, when they need it. This means upgrading the city’s website and notification tools, expanding language access, and using community hubs like senior centers, schools, and libraries to reach residents who may not be online.
I also believe communication must be two-way. I will hold regular open office hours in neighborhoods across the city, so residents can speak directly with me and my team. People shouldn’t have to chase down information or fight to be heard — City Hall should come to them.
Emily Jabbour: As Mayor, I am committed to holding regular town hall meetings throughout the city to sit and meet with residents face-to-face. I think this personal connection is an important way to build community trust in local government. I also would like to see more visiting office hours for City Hall staff throughout the city – for example, visits from the social work team to senior buildings, and meeting with the Transportation Team in neighborhoods concerned about safety. The City has done more in recent years to update its presence on social media – but it can sometimes be confusing because there are multiple different accounts (e.g. cultural affairs, public safety, main city page). I think we need to consolidate this online presence by anchoring it to a city website that is more user friendly and linked directly to the social media pages. Nixle is also a great tool to get the word out – particularly during emergencies such as the recent water main break – but City Hall needs to be more actively engaged in the back and forth of social media – something I have done often over my last 8 years on the City Council.
Ruben Ramos: I believe that elected officials have to be visible in the community in order to have consistent two-way communication. I’ll hold regular town halls and office hours to hear directly from residents about their concerns, and I’ll improve communication about major city projects by creating a dashboard on the city website with clear timelines and benchmarks.
Michael Russo: In addition to socials, for years I’ve communicated by hosting open office hours, through text, and via my email list. My website has had my personal cell phone number on it for years, and I pride myself on being incredibly responsive. As Mayor, in addition to what I just mentioned, my administration will run a tight ship with regards to Nixle so people are never caught off-guard during an emergency. I’ll also establish proactive lines of communication with large buildings and continue to host roundtables with community groups. Finally, my running mates on Team Russo—Nicole, Pete, Dean, and Ryan—are already experts in listening to their neighbors and bringing up their concerns. We’ll all hit the ground running here, because we’ve all been communicating with our neighbors in some shape or form for years.
Patricia Waiters: did not respond
The Hoboken Girl: Any other final notes/thoughts for The Hoboken Girl readers about your candidacy, share here:
Dini Ajmani: I have the experience Hoboken needs today. As Deputy Assistant Secretary at US Treasury and Assistant Treasurer for New Jersey, I have run large organizations and run large budgets. Current city government has been ineffective. Council members who are running for mayor collectively have 57 years on the council. Our daily life is becoming increasingly challenging and now they want to add another 13,000 residents in the next five years. There is no planning, just ad-hoc decisions that are often self-serving. It is time to give Hoboken a fresh start.
Tiffanie Fisher: This election is about the future of Hoboken — and who will put residents first. I’ve spent nearly a decade doing the hard work on the City Council: solving problems, leading on major infrastructure and resiliency projects, protecting tenants and small businesses, improving public safety, and pushing for fiscal discipline and transparency. I’m proud of that record — but I also know we can do better.
Hoboken needs a different kind of mayor — one who knows how to run the city better and has the experience to deliver on day one. That’s what I bring: deep financial and operational experience, proven leadership, and a commitment to building a City Hall that works for you.
Emily Jabbour: Thank you for considering me to be the next Mayor of Hoboken – I hope you will also consider supporting my Council team – 1H: Joe Quintero, 2H: Caitlin Layson, and 3H: Steve Firestone. I feel that they bring the combination of experience and diversity of experiences/viewpoints to strengthen the makeup of the City Council.
Ruben Ramos: Thank you for covering this election — with the closing of the Jersey Journal, the Hoboken Reporter and many other legacy media outlets, it’s critical that platforms like Hoboken Girl inform residents about important issues in our community.
Michael Russo: Hoboken [is] in my blood, and I am proud to be from here. I’ve spent my life caring for my neighbors… as a physical therapist, 20+ year councilman, 10 year HHA commissioner, PAL coach, Eagle Scout, and more. This campaign is about our government fulfilling its promise to make people’s lives easier: from public safety to being able to afford a place to live, from solving insane traffic congestion to tightening up our recreation processes. If you want a Mayor who’s been listening for decades, fights for working families, enforces the law fairly, and gets things done with clear accountability: I’d be honored to have your vote.
That being said, a Mayor can’t do this alone; they need teammates on the City Council who support them. That’s why I’m running with a full slate of Council candidates who come to the table with fresh ideas. Team Russo and their ballot positions are: Michael Russo for Mayor (1-G), Nicole Magaña (9-H), Pete Keeling (10-H), and Dean Murray (11-H) for Council At-Large , and Ryan Cunningham (7-I) for the 6th Ward Council seat. Please visit russoforhoboken.com to read my policy proposals, including my FULL 100 Day Plan, and remember to vote by November 4th. Together with your support, we can finally fix Hoboken’s issues and restore its promise as a place where people can build their futures. Thank you!
Patricia Waiters: did not respond
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