Here at home.

There's a battle royale for an election that's still two years away.

As Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop focuses on his early bid to be the next governor.

A long list of potential candidates are lining up to take his seat, but they face an uphill battle since it appears the Hudson County Democratic Party machine already has its mind made up, throwing all of the organization's political might behind former Governor Jim McGreevey and his predestined comeback.

Senior political correspondent David Kruse reports.

You have to forgive some Jersey City old timers for saying hold up, wait a minute.

When reporters start asking them about who they like for mayor in 2025, voters here are wary and weary of elections.

And when some guy suddenly gets the push from the party bosses outside of the city, it raises some questions.

What the heck do these guys who don't live in Jersey City, why are they the ones who are the first people to make an endorsement?

And frankly, you know why?

You know, why would someone go to them before the people of Jersey City?

The question is rhetorical.

Of course, Union City Mayor Brian Stack is a powerful state senator.

West New York Mayor.

HBO series served 17 years in Congress and Bayonne.

Mayor Jimmy Davis is the South Hudson County boss.

You're the big three of nine Hudson mayors who say they want former governor and former mayor of Woodbridge, Jim McGreevey, to run for mayor of what is essentially the capital of Hudson County.

They don't call that a machine for nothing.

It's really who was connected.

You know, there is an old guard that, you know, sits on the throne and supports or decides to support and sometimes handpicked candidates.

And I think that that's what really ushers them in.

And that brings money.

It brings out folks who work a campaign and get their neighbors out and their family members out and that they belong to unions.

They are, you know, pissed that in their union meetings and, you know, it comes with a huge force.

What the machine brings is definitely kind of feet on the ground money which does, you know, which is important because, you know, many people have said in order to run a city, you need to be able to pull in at least $2 million into your war chest to keep the race flowing.

A lot of it doesn't make any sense, right?

The election's two years away.

The people of Jersey City are the ones who will decide the election.

And suddenly you've got all these other folks kind of telling folks in Jersey City what they think they should do all day.

And Councilman Solomon are both expected to run for mayor again in 2025 and have been on both sides of the political bosses over their tenures.

As many as five or six candidates could emerge with viable chances at getting into a runoff.

But at the moment, McGreevey, who wouldn't talk to us today, but says he'll announce something right after Thanksgiving.

Is the guy the machine seems to like.

But the other hopefuls can take heart in the general, feeling that the machine ain't what it used to be.

Our town, ours has changed.

Our town is so much more diverse, you know?

We've got much more ideologically in tune.

You know, those days of people telling you who to vote for?

Those days are long, long over.

The average person doesn't care what politicians are talking about.

Two years before an election.

I mean, they're talking about their rent going up, taxes going up.

Who's going to pick up the trash?

They're talking to me about their lives.

The current mayor has embarked on a campaign for governor, leaving a potential free for all in his wake when his term expires.

It's worth noting that the last guy to take on the Hudson County political establishment and win was the Fulop.

In Jersey City.

I'm David Cruz.

NJ Spotlight News.