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Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla Announces Run for N.J. State Assembly in 32nd Legislative District

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla Announces Run for N.J. State Assembly in 32nd Legislative District

  • He says his experience and record as a two-term mayor will help him curb traffic fatalities, address climate change, and the housing crisis.

Hoboken, New Jersey Mayor Ravi Bhalla has announced his candidacy for the State Assembly in the 32nd Legislative District. A former eight-year member of the Hoboken City Council, Bhalla, a Democrat, made history in 2017, by becoming the first Sikh to hold elected office in New Jersey and the first directly elected Sikh to become mayor in the U.S. In November 2021, he was easily elected to another four-year term, in what is described as an “exceptionally rare uncontested mayoral race.” He announced earlier this month that he would not seek a third term as mayor.

In a statement sent to local media, Bhalla noted the need for more mayors in Trenton “to deliver tangible results.” A two-term mayor, he promised “to fight to ensure that New Jersey leads the way on curbing both traffic fatalities and climate change, and address the housing crisis that is squeezing so many residents in Jersey City, Hoboken and throughout the state.” Noting that “the role of states and cities is more important now,” with the election of Donald Trump back and Republican control of the U.S. House and Senate. “We are the laboratories of democracy that will move our state and country forward,” he added.

As mayor, Bhalla implemented Hoboken’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate pedestrian fatalities. The city marked eight years without a pedestrian death on January 15, according to his website.

Bhalla has also highlighted Hoboken’s perfect score for seven consecutive years on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, which measures LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.Under Ravi’s leadership, Hoboken has become a national model for creating safer streets for all residents and modes of transportation. In 2019, he signed an executive order launching Hoboken’s Vision Zero initiative, forming a Vision Zero Task Force, and creating a Vision Zero Action Plan. Hoboken also received national recognition for its climate change efforts, becoming one of only 10 cities worldwide to earn an “A” rating from the nonprofit CDP for its climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. 

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In 2024, Bhalla ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District, losing to Rob Menendez, who went on to win in the general election.

He came to Hoboken at the age of 26, “a bachelor fresh out of law school starting his first job at a small law firm in Newark, New Jersey,” according to his profile on his website. He received his undergraduate education from the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a B.A. in Political Psychology. Upon graduation, he attended the London School of Economics (L.S.E.) in the United Kingdom and received a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy, and also earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He and his wife Bindya reside in Hoboken with their two children, Arza Kaur and Shabegh Singh.

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