Newark Mayor Ras Baraka cruises to victory in municipal election, clinches fourth term
To say there was a crowded field in the race for Newark mayor was putting it mildly.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
The Associated Press projects incumbent Ras Baraka, a progressive Democrat, will win a fourth term as the mayor of New Jersey's most populous city.
Baraka easily defeated seven challengers during the municipal election on Tuesday. With 100% of the vote counted, Baraka finished with 70.3%, well ahead of second-place Jhamar D. Youngblood, who had 16.7%. No one else cracked 5% of the vote.
"I'm thankful we got four more years to do that. It's all fit, and with the will of the people here in this city who love, obviously, the work that we're doing, we thank you for your continued support," Baraka said Tuesday night.
Baraka has been mayor since 2014
With his victory, Baraka, 56, tied Kenneth Gibson, the city's first Black mayor, for second-longest running mayor, behind Sharpe James, who ruled from 1986-2006.
Newark, which has had 40 mayors since being incorporated as a city in 1836, has no mayoral term limit.
Among Baraka's achievements, he is credited with restoring local control of schools and instituting public safety reform, and has overseen the city's significant economic growth and the extensive replacement of lead pipes.
He had a turbulent 12 months leading into the race.
Nearly one year ago, he was arrested at a protest outside a federal immigration detention center. Those charges were later dropped.
Baraka then ran for governor, placing second in the Democratic primary behind Mikie Sherrill, who went on to win the general election.
The mayoral candidates
Baraka's challengers were Youngblood, Debra Salters, Douglas Davis, Noble Milton, Tanisha Garner, Nasheedah Singleton, and Sheila Montague, who ran against Baraka in the 2022 mayoral race.
Montague, a longtime educator, and Salters each ran in the special election to fill the seat of late-Rep. Donald Payne Jr., in July 2024, a race ultimately won by LaMonica McIver.
Montague also ran against Baraka in 2022, but came in a distant second with just 17% of the vote.
The City Council candidates
In the City Council race, 19 candidates were vying for four at-large seats.
Of the four seats up for grabs, three are currently held by incumbents -- Louise Scott-Rountree, Luis Quintana, and C. Lawrence Crump. Carlos Gonzalez, the fourth incumbent, is not seeking re-election
The other candidates are Joanette Hinnant, Donna Jackson, Nadirah Brown, Pablo Olivera, Malik Cooper, Yusuf Shabazz, Lamont Vaughn, Rasheen Peppers, Altarik White, Alonzo Herran Jr., Christina Cherry, Maria Lebron, Lynda Lloyd, Khalil Kettles, Josephine Garcia, and Edden Rivera.
