Ras Baraka

A member of the Democratic Party, Baraka is the 40th and current mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

Ras Jua Baraka (born April 9, 1970 ) is an American educator, author, and politician.

Baraka edited In the tradition: an anthology of young Black writers (1992).

Baraka ran his first campaign for mayor when he was 24 years old, in 1994.

The Newark Public Schools system (serving approximately 40,000 students) was placed under state control in 1994.

Newark is one of 31 Abbott districts.

The state is required to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.

Baraka was featured on singer Lauryn Hill 1998 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, as the narrator of several interludes on the album.

He also recorded the intro to The Score, The Fugees' second album.

Baraka and Hill recorded an unreleased single together entitled "Hot Beverage in the Winter", which later featured on his spoken-word album Shorty for Mayor.

Between 2002 and 2006 Baraka was Newark Municipal Council member and in 2002 was appointed deputy mayor, and served that position until 2005.

Baraka dedicated his collection of poems Black Girls Learn Love Hard to the life of his late sister, Shani Baraka, who had been fatally shot in 2003.

He had read as part of the city's Dodge Poetry Festival.

Baraka has participated in the National Political Hip-Hop Convention.

In November 2005, Baraka was voted to complete the term vacated by the deceased Councilmember-at-Large Donald Kofi Tucker.

Baraka was the principal of Central High School from 2007 until 2013.

In May 2010 he defeated then-councilman Oscar James II in a highly contested election, on a platform critical of Mayor Cory Booker.

The election was documented on the Sundance reality television series Brick City, which stars Booker, Baraka and other Newark political and residential figures.

In August 2013, fellow council members Mildred C. Crump and Ronald C. Rice issued statements formally backing Baraka's candidacy.

Baraka's slate for the municipal council included John Sharpe James (council member-at-large running for South Ward), Mildred C. Crump (council member at-large incumbent), Alturrick Kenney (at-large candidate), Patrick Council (at-large candidate) and Joe McCallum (West Ward candidate).

In December 2013, the Communication Workers of America, a trade union which counts 2000 members living, and thousands more working in Newark, endorsed Baraka.

He succeeds Luis A. Quintana, after completing the term of Cory Booker, who had resigned after being elected to the United States Senate in October 2013.

First elected in the 2014 election, he was sworn into office on May 13, 2014, and was reelected in 2018 and 2022.

Prior to his election as mayor, he served on the Municipal Council of Newark and as principal of the city's Central High School.

Baraka is currently a candidate for Governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election.

A Newark native, Baraka is the son of poet and activist Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones) and his wife Amina.

Baraka was educated in the Newark Public Schools and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Arts in Education Supervision from St. Peter's University in Jersey City.

Baraka ran in the 2014 Newark mayoral election against former Assistant State Attorney General Shavar Jeffries, after fellow council members Anibal Ramos, Jr. and Darrin S. Sharif dropped out of the race.

In February 2014 he received the endorsement of former New Jersey governor Richard Codey and Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop.

In March he was endorsed by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

On May 13, 2014, Baraka was elected mayor of Newark.

Official results show that of 44,951 ballots cast, he received 24,358 to Jeffries' 20,593.

Baraka was sworn in as the city's 40th mayor by former Governor of New Jersey Richard Codey at ceremonies at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on July 1, 2014, for a four-year term.

Soon after winning the 2014 election, Baraka initiated meetings with Cory Booker on May 19 with Governor Chris Christie, and Essex Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. on May 21.

On May 28, 2014, Baraka announced his transition team, headed by former mayor Kenneth Gibson, comprising sixteen committees that will report to him before his inauguration.

Baraka appointed his brother, Amiri "Middy" Baraka, Jr. as his chief of staff.

During his tenure as mayor, Baraka has earned praise for improving Newark's economic prospects.

Baraka was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

He is currently a gubernatorial candidate in the 2025 election.

In 2019, Baraka released the spoken word video What We Want.