At the age of 33, Bret Schundler became the first Republican to be elected Mayor in Jersey City since the First World War. In the years prior to Mayor Schundler's election, local property taxes were soaring and the City was leading the State in job losses. His tax cuts and pro-growth economic policies have resulted in Jersey City experiencing ten times the job growth of New Jersey's five other largest cities combined.
Jersey City is no longer on the brink of bankruptcy.
Mayor Schundler's policy successes have flowed from his introduction of market mechanisms into the provision of public services. Nationally, Mayor Schundler is best known as a leader in the fight for parental choice in education and as a defender of religious liberty. He led the successful fight to pass charter school legislation in New Jersey and won a United States Federal Court of Appeals decision that protects religious expression against government discrimination. His defense of religious freedom won Mayor Schundler the prestigious Canterbury Medal for Religious Liberty. The Reader's Digest , The Wall Street Journal , The New York Times , The Washington Post , and Parade Magazine have all profiled Mayor Schundler.