Ras Baraka could be NJ’s first Black governor – and polls show him in the lead after taking on Trump
Mayor Ras Baraka is running for governor of New Jersey and defying expectations in the process.
While some political consultants ranked him as the underdog when he entered the race, Baraka has just been announced as the frontrunner in a new poll of Democratic candidates—beating out established names like Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and performing well in predominantly white counties, despite having spent less on the race thus far.
If he wins, he’d be the first African American governor in the state of New Jersey and only the second Black governor currently in office, next to Gov. Wes Moore in Maryland. Only six Black governors have ever been elected in the history of the United States of America, with two during the post-slavery era, Reconstruction.
“The thought of that is humbling,” Baraka told TheGrio in an exclusive interview at the Swahili Village restaurant in downtown Newark. “It’s a lot of pressure to be the first African American governor of the state or one of two in the nation.”
Despite the pressure, Baraka is heartened by the positive poll numbers that indicate his authenticity on the campaign trail is working in his favor.
“Some people have told us over and over again that nobody is going to know you down south, that white suburban voters are not going to vote for you,” Mayor Baraka told TheGrio. “They were wrong… The timing is right. I think all of this, in my mind, [is] happening for a reason.”
A former school principal turned city council member, Baraka’s name may be familiar outside of the Garden State for a few reasons. He’s a Howard grad and the son of famous poet and activist Amiri Baraka. His conversations with his students were part of the Grammy Award-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and he also succeeded Cory Booker in his race for Mayor of Newark, the city where Baraka was born and raised.
Newark is a predominantly Black city with the largest population in the state. While some news outlets once deemed it the “murder capital” of the United States, Baraka has presided over a city that includes a major reduction in crime and growing business and residential development. While the balance between bringing in new residents and stopping the pushout of gentrification is a delicate one, Baraka says he’s proud of his record and thinks it’s a strong one to run on.
“We invested almost $200 million in Black and brown businesses in the last four years, right here in Newark,” Baraka tells TheGrio. “We recovered from a serious recession. We made millionaires in the city. We put people into housing that they owned. We lowered the cost of broadband. We lowered people’s health care costs.”
Baraka says he wants to bring his brand of inclusive and holistic growth to the role of governor of New Jersey, with a campaign message some would call bold in the era of anti-DEI policies—centering equity.
“We have to talk about [equity] in a very clear and logical way,” Baraka tells TheGrio. “Because people don’t think diversity and equity and inclusion have any economic consequence, and it does, right?”
“Businesses do well because of diversity,” he continued, pointing out the backlash against Target has hit the company’s bottom line.
When asked why he isn’t afraid to center equity at a time when many corporations, schools, and even politicians are running away from it, Baraka was unapologetic.
“They’ve been counting on the fact that the cities and the suburbs are so divided, that the north and the south are so divided, that we can’t bring people together… The fact that this message is bringing people together scares them,” he told TheGrio.
Similarly, Baraka has been direct in his critiques of the Trump administration’s policies, holding a rally after the president’s false claims about Haitian immigrants and pushing back against anti-DEI efforts.
“This is not conventional time. So we can’t do what we normally do. I think that’s what the Democrats have—a very old playbook that hasn’t worked,” Baraka explained.
Baraka, who is both a father and a husband, is particularly passionate about education and says that even in the era of Trump dismantling the Department of Education, institutions like the Black church, heritage schools, and community groups can serve as a guide.
“Those institutions kept us safe, gave us confidence, helped us be secure,” Baraka tells TheGrio.
Those very institutions have teamed up with a growing list of supporters to campaign for Baraka across the state of New Jersey. The most recent “Women for Ras Baraka” fundraiser included notable local figures such as Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, and the mayor’s wife, political strategist Linda Baraka.
Baraka says that Democrats shouldn’t be scared by threats from the White House or elsewhere about possible consequences for advocating for policies centered on diversity and equity but instead should focus on the power of what they have to offer.
His policy plans for New Jersey include increasing the housing supply, expanding healthcare, universal income, and making voting easier for residents, including teens. He’s pushed back against Trump’s immigration crackdowns in Newark, which have included roundups that detained U.S. citizens and people with a legal right to be in the country. It’s a progressive platform that the mayor says equates to common sense.
“We always defend ourselves, so we’re on the defensive all the time,” Baraka explained. “People want leadership now. They don’t want to have a debate about it. They want to know that you’re with them.”
The Democratic primary for governor is June 10, 2025. If Baraka wins, he’ll face the Republican candidate for governor on November 4, 2025.
Natasha S. Alford is the Senior Vice President of TheGrio. A recognized journalist, filmmaker and TV personality, Alford is also author of the award-winning book, “American Negra.” (HarperCollins, 2024) Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.
