The Jersey City Independent "

At-Large candidate Emilio DeLia and mayoral candidate Dan Levin check a cell phone for the latest election results

The One Jersey City team gathered at the Golden Cicada last night to celebrate both the end of a campaign and what they say is the beginning of a citywide movement. After the polls closed the candidates and volunteers made their way Downtown, spirits high, excited to watch the results come in.

For mayoral candidate Dan Levin, the moment was a special victory for local activists and community organizers. “It’s inspiring,” he said between smiles. “Regardless of the outcome, we built an organization, a movement. We got together and did something really good.”

The candidates and their supporters packed the Grand Street bar, laughing and joking about the last One Jersey City event, a break-dancing session at the Grove Street PATH station. Soon it was standing-room only, as more and more supporters arrived with their families and friends to wish the team one final good luck. Partygoers snacked and reminisced, snapping photos of friends and thanking the candidates for their willingness to challenge the political status-quo.

“Seeing all these people come out for us is really moving,” At-Large candidate Emilio DeLia said. “I don’t care how the polls come out at this point. We fought a good fight and made it to the end.”

As the results trickled in, the unfettered optimism of the candidates became decidedly muted. Clusters of people formed around iPhones, watching as the poll numbers appeared on the county website.

Ultimately, all five One Jersey City candidates fell short yesterday. Levin finished fourth in the mayoral race with 5.6 percent of the vote; in Ward B, Douglas Salters came in fifth, garnering 5.2 percent of the vote; Ward C candidate Norrice Raymaker finished third with 5.3 percent of the vote.

The ticket’s two At-Large candidates, DeLia and Andrew Hubsch, finished eighth and ninth in a field of 13, with 3.2 and 3.1 percent of the vote, respectively.

Many expressed frustration at the lack of voter turnout.

“I am really shocked that so few people came out to vote tonight,” Salters said. “People have been clamoring for real ‘change’ for years now … I’m surprised they didn’t take it.”

A little after 10pm, Levin spoke to the group, expressing pride in all that One Jersey City had accomplished — and reaffirming that the volunteer effort was just beginning. “We knew we were the little guy, but we weren’t doing it for us — we were doing it for everyone,” he said. “One Jersey City is not a political movement; it’s a community.” A few attendees wiped away tears, applauding Levin’s efforts in forming both an alternative political candidacy and in bringing people together people under a banner of reform.

The remarkable thing was that after the poll results had been switched off and the speeches made, hardly anyone had left — and a few minutes after the tears, people were laughing again. Someone even convinced the owner to turn on a bit of karaoke.

When asked what he plans on doing next, Levin said “at this point in time” he plans to run again in 2013, and he also pointed out that One Jersey City will morph into a sort of civic association or similar organization “to facilitate, encourage, mentor and fund political candidates.”

Levin also said his team will actively support Rolando Lavarro, Andre Richardson and LaVern Webb-Washington should they be the candidates in Ward A and F runoffs. (Right now Lavarro and Richardson are neck-in-neck for second place in A, while Webb-Washington barely trails Ron-Calvin Clark in F.)

Ultimately for Levin, losing the election doesn’t constitute failure or the end, but a beginning.

“The campaign was started to get regular people involved in local politics,” he said. “The end result was not the vote, but getting more people involved in the community building process in order to move towards a more accountable and responsive local government.”

Jon Whiten contributed to this report.

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