Michael Yun was first elected to the council in 2013.
As Hudson County voters are heading to the polls in the final hours of today's presidential primaries, Jersey City Councilman Michael Yun will be in Fort Lee raising money for a possible mayoral bid in 2017.
According to an invitation obtained by The Jersey Journal -- and written mostly in Korean -- Yun supporters are gathering at Fort Lee restaurant Poong Lim B.B.Q. tonight and are being asked to donate between $250 and $2,600, the maximum contribution an individual can make to a campaign.
The invite, which says it was paid for by "Friends of Michael Yun," calls Yun's possible mayoral candidacy a "new beginning" and stresses that the New York metropolitan area is due for a Korean mayor. The top of the invite refers to a "steering committee for mayor."
Yun, 62, a longtime Jersey Heights businessman who in 2013 became the first Korean-born member of the City Council, confirmed details of the fundraiser and that he is mulling a bid for mayor next year. He's not ready to declare himself a candidate until he knows how much money he can raise, he said.
"Bottom line, to run for mayor is based on how much you raise, especially in Jersey City," he said.
Yun is one of only two City Council members who aren't allies of Mayor Steve Fulop. He has been sharply critical of the administration's policy on tax abatements, saying the long-term tax breaks aren't necessary to lure developers to build here. Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano, the other Fulop critic on the council, is also weighing a 2017 run for mayor.
The Yun fundraiser locale is interesting for a councilman who was been dogged by allegations that he doesn't truly live in Jersey City (he owns a home in Montville). But Census figures show Fort Lee has one of the largest populations of residents who were born in Korea, at 16.5 percent. In nearby Palisades Park, the figure is 35.6 percent. Less than 1 percent of Jersey City's population was born in Korea.
Yun said a friend of his is hosting the event outside of Jersey City to keep away special interests.
"I don't want them involved in my campaign," he said.
Yun made some noise last week when he took offense to Councilman-at-large Daniel Rivera referring to a speech Yun gave during a council meeting as "gibberish." Yun said the comment was aimed at his heavily accented English. Rivera denied that, saying he was criticizing the content of Yun's remarks.
The next mayoral race is in May 2017. If voters approve a referendum in November backed by Fulop, city elections will move to November 2017.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
