Honorable Ras J. Baraka
Mayor of Newark
Part of a family that has called Newark home for more than 80 years, Mayor Baraka’s proactive approach to governing has won accolades from city residents to grassroots organizations to the White House. His forward-thinking agenda has reduced crime in the city to its lowest levels in six decades, addressed affordability while maintaining steady growth, reduced homelessness, lowered unemployment, and restored local control of schools after more than two decades. Elected in 2014, Mayor Baraka defied expectations during his first term in office, and handily won re-election in 2018 and 2022.
Mayor Baraka is regarded nationally as a thought leader in the field of urban revitalization. He defied a hostile Presidential directive targeting the immigrant community with an executive order that designated Newark as a sanctuary city, solidifying his status as one of the country’s most progressive elected officials.