Montclair Deputy Mayor Eyes Bid for Governor

Written By Jenny Goldberg

Montclair Deputy Mayor Robert Russo ended Tuesday night's council meeting with a surprise twist by announcing his candidacy for governor.

The Democrat, who was sitting in the mayor's seat for Robert Jackson who missed the meeting, said he would not seek re-election in Montclair's 2016 municipal election and instead will turn his attention to the 2017 gubernatorial race.

Russo, however, clarified his statement on Wednesday by saying he plans to launch an exploratory committee over the next year, according to The Montclair Times.

The four-time councilman and former mayor said he understands there will be other candidates with more resources and admitted he'd back someone else who shared the same values as him, according to the Times.

Russo, who was first elected to the township council in 1992, compared his qualifications to those of former Gov. Jim McGreevy when he ran for the statehouse in 1997.