In a drizzly Jersey City rally alongside a slew of progressive advocacy groups, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka launched the final push of his campaign for governor, rejecting arguments he’s unelectable as he seeks to turn out voters for Election Day next week.
Baraka criticized an NJ.com report that stated he is the Democratic candidate Republicans believe they have the best shot at beating in November, saying the argument is being used in an attempt to dampen his base’s energy. The mayor is one of six Democrats seeking their party’s nomination to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.
“This is their solution [for] us, to say that, ‘You’re hopeless, you can’t do it, it’s impossible, lay down, stay home,’” the mayor said. “This is a message they’ve been giving us all of our lives, and as long as that message grows, it gives me encouragement … because they wouldn’t be doing all these things if they didn’t think we could win.”
Speakers from the New Jersey Working Families Party, New Jersey Citizen Action, 32BJ SEIU, Make the Road New Jersey, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Engage Action, and other groups attended the Get Out of Vote rally, as did Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) and Jersey City Councilman Frank “Education” Gilmore. A coalition that includes those organizations endorsed Baraka in April.
Mail-in voting has been operating for weeks, and early in-person voting started earlier this week.
While Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) has led all polls and is considered the frontrunner by many, Baraka said there is immense energy behind his campaign and that he believes he’ll get the votes he needs out of Newark, Essex County, and throughout the rest of the state.
“Our unity is like an atomic bomb,” he said.
Baraka, considered the most talented orator in the primary (including by his opponents), said his campaign goes beyond the rousing speeches he’s become known for.
“I want to say one last thing about these people who say that our campaign is only about rhetoric and platitudes. There are specific reasons people are saying that: Because they’re just not as charismatic as I am,” Baraka said. “They can’t put their sentences together.”
The mayor said he has a strong record as mayor, including decreasing violence, balancing the city’s budget, and removing lead pipes, arguing he doesn’t simply operate on rhetoric.
“Platitudes didn’t do this,” he said.