Mayor -Elect Jimmy Davis greets his supporters at Casa Maria Restaurant on election night
Photo of Mayor -Elect  Jimmy Davis by Ricardo Kaulessar Â
Mayor Mark Smith and Team election night at Chandelier Restaurant
 Photo of Mayor Mark Smith and Team by Steve A MackÂ
James Davis walked into the Villa Maria restaurant in Bayonne on Tuesday night like the conquering hero, with hundreds of supporters cheering him on as soon as he entered the place.
There was good reason for the elation as Davis won the mayoral runoff election in his hometown over the incumbent Mark Smith by a 51% to 49% margin as of election night.
Davis greeted the numerous tired and sweaty followers like himself who were energized by seeing their leader give his victory speech.
“Tonight we enjoy but tomorrow we get to work,†said Davis to raucous applause. “It’s going to take everybody in this city to change this city, whether they voted for us or against us.†Continue reading BAYONNE ELECTS A NEW MAYOR→
Who will be the next Bayonne Mayor will be decided by a runoff between incumbent Mark Smith and challenger James Davis on June 10.
Smith, who has been mayor since November 2008, is running for a second four-year term. Before becoming mayor, Smith served In the Bayonne Police Department for 25 years where he rose through the ranks to deputy chief. He is married and has two daughters.
Davis has been on the police force for over 25 years, currently holding the title of captain. His work has included leading a task force from 2007 to 2008 that made a number of arrests while dismantling a burglary and motor vehicle theft ring, and later helping to shut down cocaine distribution network operating partly out of Bayonne. He is married and is the father of three sons.
The River View Observer posed questions to both candidates about dealing with a prolonged campaign season in the Peninsula City, strategies the city’s highest office, and their respective plans for governing their hometown if one of them prevails.
Why do you think you ended up in a runoff with your opponent rather than had won the election outright?
Mayor Mark Smith
 Smith: We always knew this was going to be a challenging race. While we won the popular vote, there’s still some lingering effects from the national recession. People are still struggling. The outcome may have reflected a bit of that. We heard their concerns. Some people are still restless and we need to communicate our plan with them. We’re going to show them that our team has the plan and the ability to continue revitalizing or community.
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