Ras Jua Baraka (born April 9, 1970) is an American politician, author, and educator. A member of the Democratic Party, Baraka is the 40th and current mayor of Newark, New Jersey. First elected in the 2014 election, he was sworn into office on July 1, 2014, and was reelected in 2018, 2022 and 2026.
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 sought the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election, but lost in the primary to Mikie Sherrill.
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Early life and education
A Newark native, Baraka is the son of poet and activist Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones), and poet and actress Amina Baraka (born Sylvia Robinson).
Baraka was educated in the Newark Public Schools, attending University High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Howard University in Washington, DC; and a Master of Arts degree in education supervision from Saint Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Career in education
Baraka was the principal of Central High School from 2007 until 2013. Before he was principal, he was a school teacher.
Poetry, spoken word, and hip-hop
Baraka edited the 1992 book In the Tradition: An Anthology of Young Black Writers.
Baraka was featured on singer Lauryn Hill's 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 titled "Hot Beverage in the Winter", which later featured on his spoken-word album Shorty for Mayor.
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 2019, Baraka released the spoken word video What We Want.
In 2025, an audio recording of Baraka's poem American Poem, which he performed on Def Poetry Jam on HBO in 2003, was featured in singer Beyonce's Cowboy Carter tour.
Early political career
Between 2002 and 2006 Baraka was Newark Municipal Council member and in 2002 was appointed deputy mayor, and served that position until 2005. In November 2005, Baraka was voted to complete the term vacated by the deceased Councilmember-at-Large Donald Kofi Tucker.
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 TV reality television series Brick City, which stars Booker, Baraka and other Newark political and residential figures.
Mayor of Newark
Elections
Baraka ran his first campaign for mayor when he was 24 years old, in 1994.
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 Sharif dropped out of the race. 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 Communications Workers of America endorsed Baraka. 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. He succeeded Luis A. Quintana, who was completing the term of Cory Booker, who had resigned after being elected to the United States Senate in October 2013. 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.
Baraka was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
Transition
Soon after winning the 2014 election, Baraka initiated meetings with Cory Booker on May 19 with Governor Chris Christie, and Essex County executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. on May 21.
On May 28, 2014, Baraka announced his transition team, headed by former mayor Kenneth Gibson.
Baraka appointed his brother, Amiri "Middy" Baraka, Jr. as his chief of staff.
Tenure
Politico has described Baraka as "one of the most progressive Democrats in New Jersey, and possibly the nation".
During his tenure as mayor, Baraka has earned praise for improving Newark's economic prospects.
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.
In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, donated $100 million of his personal fortune through his foundation StartUp Education to the Newark school system. Release of the funds required matching funds, which were mostly raised through the Foundation for Newark's Future and have largely been spent, though funds remain.
Teams of consultants have suggested numerous management reforms from the top down, but according to Baraka, echoing concerns of many residents, they have ignored the community and the needs of children and wishes of families in the neighborhoods. A restructuring program called One Newark calls for the closure of some public schools and the opening of more charter schools (some in public school buildings).
The reorganization, spearheaded by state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson, would relocate, consolidate or close one quarter of the district's schools that she has determined are underutilized. The plan has met with stiff resistance from large segments of Newark's population, with critics saying there was no evidence it will increase student performance. The plan would also include teacher lay-offs. While there is some agreement with many of the policies being implemented in the program, the disregard for community input and the pace of change has drawn criticism. The plan will require some students to leave their neighborhoods and travel across the city, with many parents fearing for their safety.
Baraka ran for election with a campaign to take back local control of the schools. In May 2014, Newark, which already had control of operations (includes student transportation and other support services), was granted local powers over budget and finance, giving the local advisory board its first formal vote on the district's nearly $1 billion in annual spending. The state retains the right to veto any action of the local board and has the final say in appointing the superintendent of the district. Baraka, as an outspoken advocate of returning control of Newark's schools to local authority, has called for the ouster of state-appointed Superintendent Anderson. Anderson's contract was renewed in June 2014.
2025 gubernatorial campaign
On February 19, 2024, Baraka announced that he would run for governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election. He called for a "progressive overhaul" in New Jersey, and his campaign agenda included "reparations, sanctuary state laws, baby bonds, and [a] universal basic income". At a February 20, 2024, event at Rowan University, Baraka called incarceration and policing in New Jersey “uneven, costly and racist.”
Following the April 2024 death of U.S. representative Donald Payne Jr., who represented the 10th congressional district, Baraka was mentioned as a potential candidate in the upcoming special election. However, Baraka chose not to run for the seat and continued his gubernatorial candidacy.
In July 2024, the New Jersey Globe said that Baraka looked to be "the Bernie Sanders of the 2025 governor’s race", positioning himself as the furthest left of the Democratic candidates.
In the Democratic primary on June 10, 2025, Baraka lost the Democratic nomination to Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. representative. Sherrill received 34% of the vote; Baraka received 21.7%, finishing second; mayor Steven Fulop of Jersey City finished third with 16%.
Personal life
Baraka is the father of three daughters. In 2019, he married political consultant Linda Jumah. Baraka and Jumah had a son in 2019.
Through his father, some of Baraka's half-sisters are Kellie and Lisa Jones and Dominique di Prima. (Jones was their father's last name at the time they were born.)