Baraka is one of six Democrats running for governor in New Jersey, and his recent arrest could help win over the party’s progressive voters.
By Bridget Bowman
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest last week at a federal immigration detention facility could shake up the New Jersey governor’s race, as Baraka looks to appeal to progressive Democratic voters to win the crowded primary.
Baraka is one of six Democrats on the June 10 primary ballot, and he has been campaigning for months as an unapologetic progressive but has been vastly outspent spreading that message on the airwaves. His arrest Friday at the facility, known as Delaney Hall, could boost his profile just as Democratic voters look for a candidate willing to fight President Donald Trump.
“We’re fighting to uphold the Constitution the United States,” Baraka told supporters on a call with a coalition of progressive groups Monday evening. “We’re fighting to uphold democracy that every single person deserves due process.”
LaVar Young, who chairs the pro-Baraka super PAC One New Jersey United, said Baraka’s arrest shows “there’s only been one candidate that’s really been putting action behind his words.”
“I think Friday was just really a demonstration of what he’s been doing over the last 30, 40 years of his career,” Young later added, noting the super PAC expects to launch a digital ad highlighting Baraka’s arrest later this week. “And I hope voters are able to see there’s a difference between rhetoric and action.”
New Jersey is one of two states, along with Virginia, that are holding governor’s races this year, which could provide indications about how voters are reacting to Trump’s second term. The New Jersey Democratic primary is also one of the party’s first significant internal contests following its 2024 loss to Trump — and amid its fractious deliberations about the party’s path forward.
The crowded race features Baraka, Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. All but Spiller faced off in a debate on Monday night.
At the debate, Baraka said his actions at the ICE detention center were an effective way to push back against the Trump administration.
“That’s what people need now. They need leadership. They don’t need people to acquiesce, to hide in the middle, to run under this veil of ‘I’m working with the president of the United States,’” Baraka said. “The reality is, we need to protect families, we need to protect immigrants, we need to protect democracy.”
While some New Jersey political strategists view Sherrill as a leading candidate, the race is hotly contested. The most recent survey, from Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics, showed all six Democratic primary contenders clustered from 7% to 17% support — and the gap between first place and last place within the poll’s margin of error. Baraka’s path to victory involves consolidating his party’s liberal base and leveraging his support in Newark, the state’s largest city, where he was first elected mayor in 2014. And his arrest could help him do just that.
“If he can move a few thousand voters with a moment like this, it’s meaningful,” said one New Jersey Democratic operative granted anonymity to speak candidly about the race.
The operative noted that the primary winner will not need a large percentage of the vote given how the crowded field will divide support. The person said Baraka’s arrest could be a “big blow” to Fulop as the two mayors have been battling for progressive voters.
“This kind of a genuine, values-driven moment is huge for the type of voters that they’re going for,” the operative said.
Each of Baraka’s primary opponents condemned the arrest on Friday, calling it outrageous and demanding that he be released. The top two GOP candidates for governor, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and radio host Bill Spadea, slammed the arrest as a political stunt on the part of Baraka.
“I wish it was, then I wouldn’t have to go to court on May 15,” Baraka told Zeteo’s Mehdi Hassan on Monday afternoon.
