Emily Jabbour
Emily Ball Jabbour is an American social worker and politician, serving as the mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey. She previously served as a councilwoman-at-large, a position to which she had been elected in 2017.
On December 2, 2025, she was elected as the 40th mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, defeating councilperson Michael Russo in a runoff election. Prior to and during her tenure on the City Council, Jabbour worked for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) division of the United States [Department of Health and Human Services].
Early life
Emily Jabbour was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Wellesley. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College in 2003, and a master's degree from the Columbia School of Social Work in 2006.Career
Federal and social work
Jabbour's first employment with the federal government was as a Presidential Management Fellow. She worked as a Health Fellow on a detail assignment with the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. During her 19 years on the Administration for Children and Families, Jabbour served as a certifying officer and performance officer for the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. In early 2025, Jabbour's employment with the Department of Health and Human Services ended following the closure of the New York City office of the ACF amidst DOGE budgetary cuts.Jabbour has prioritized an emphasis on public safety throughout her social work career. Following an active shooter drill conducted at her daughter's school, she founded the Hudson County chapter of the gun-violence protection group Moms Demand Action.
Politics
Emily Jabbour ran for an at-large seat on the Hoboken City Council in 2017. Garnering 11% of the total votes, she successfully qualified for one of the three open seats. She was sworn in on January 1, 2018. Following her first term, she was re-elected to the position four years later in 2021.In January 2025, Jabbour announced her mayoral campaign for the November 4th election, becoming the first candidate to do so. She ran on a platform of improving government transparency, public transportation, and educational facilities throughout Hoboken. Her campaign was endorsed by the respective president and vice president of the Hoboken City Council, Jim Doyle and Phil Cohen. Receiving 27% of the votes amongst six candidates, she was the highest vote-getter of the election and advanced to a December 2nd runoff against 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo.
Jabbour was further endorsed by fellow candidate Dini Ajmani and former mayor Dawn Zimmer, among others, following her advancement to the runoff election. Her campaign was ultimately successful, with her winning the runoff election by a seven-percent margin.