2005 Hoboken mayoral election

The Hoboken mayoral election of 2005 is an election that was held on May 10, 2005 in Hoboken, New Jersey for Hoboken residents, in which the Mayor of Hoboken was chosen based on the number of votes. However, none of the five mayoral candidate was able to obtain at least 50% of the vote. The top two vote-getters, David Roberts and Carol Marsh, ran on June 14 in a runoff election, and Roberts won 5,761 to 4,239 (votes). In the May 10 election, Roberts got 39% of the votes and Marsh got 27% of the vote.

Elections in New Jersey
Federal government U.S. President 1788-89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 Dem 2008 Rep Dem 2012 2016 Dem 2020 Dem 2024 Rep U.S. Senate 1788 1790 1790 (sp) 1792 1796 1796 (sp) 1798 1799 (sp) 1801 (sp) 1803 (sp) 1804 1808 1809 1809 (sp) 1810 1815 1816 (sp) 1817 1820 1823 1823 (sp) 1826 1826 (sp) 1829 1829 (sp) 1833 1835 1839 1840 1845 1846 1851 1853 (sp) 1857 1858 1863 (sp) 1864 1866 (sp) 1867 (sp) 1869 1875 1877 1881 1883 1886 1889 1893 1895 1899 1901 1902 (sp) 1905 1907 1911 1913 1916 1918 1918 (sp) 1922 1924 1928 1930 1930 (sp) 1932 (sp) 1934 1936 1938 (sp) 1942 1944 (sp) 1948 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 (sp) 2014 2018 2020 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 1789 1791 1792 1794 1795 (sp AL) 1797 1798 1800 1803 1804 1806 1808 (sp AL) 1808 1810 (sp AL) 1810 1814 (sp 3rd) 1813 1814 1816 1818 1820 1821 (sp AL) 1822 1824 1826 1828 1828 (sp AL) 1830 1832 1834 1836 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 (sp 6th) 1914 1916 1920 1924 1926 1928 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1948 1950 1951 (sp 9th) 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1968 1972 1980 1984 1988 1988 (sp 3rd) 1990 1990 (sp 1st) 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2006 2006 (5th) 2006 (12th) 2008 2010 2012 2012 (sp 10th) 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2009 2010 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 Gubernatorial elections 1844 1847 1850 1853 1856 1859 1862 1865 1868 1871 1874 1877 1880 1883 1886 1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1916 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Senate elections 1873 ... 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1971 1973 1977 1981 1983 1987 1991 1993 1997 2001 2003 2007 2011 2013 2017 2021 2023 General Assembly elections 1985 1987 1989 1991 ... 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023
Newark Mayoral elections 1970 ... 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Jersey City Mayoral elections 2001 2004 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Hoboken Mayoral elections 2005 2017 2021
Atlantic City Mayoral elections 2017 2021

There were also 17 people running for 3 at-large seats on the Hoboken City Council, but in the same manner as those running for mayor, no candidate could get a majority, so the 6 people running for council that got the most votes were in the June 14 runoff election (everyone on Robert's team and everyone on Marsh's team). Since the start of the election, there were only 3 spots available on the council, so only 3 of the 17 running for Hoboken City Council (17.6%) would be successful. Those 3 people are now going to be people from Roberts' team. Each position that the candidates were running for is a 4-year term.

There was a miscommunication on the night of May 10, 2005, when the people at Roberts' headquarters announced over a megaphone to a crowd of supporters that Roberts was going to win the election. Either they didn't get the correct information in time, or they came to a conclusion too quickly, because an hour after the announcement it was found that neither Roberts nor Marsh had gained 50% of the vote (which is required).

Evelyn Smith, the vice president of the Hoboken NAACP, came in last with only 289 votes. However, Smith wasn't upset with her defeat, saying "It was pretty much what I expected."

Independent Scott Delea also knew from the very start that his chances of winning were small. The Hoboken Reporter Volume 22 Number 37 said the following about Delea: "[Delea] received an extremely strong showing for a political newcomer. Internet marketing executive Scott Delea obtained [1,336] votes. That total means that about 13 percent of all voters pushed the lever for Delea. With little budget but a strong work ethic, Delea was able to beat out the entire slates of Smith and Russo, which is no small feat." In an advertisement in the Hoboken Reporter Volume 22 Number 36, Scott Delea said the following: "When you vote for a political team, you're voting for people pledged to represent a mayoral candidate's interests. When you vote for an independent, such as myself, you're electing a Council voice that represents your interests." However, despite his attempt, Delea was unable to win.