Sunrise backs Baraka for governor

The New Jersey chapter of a progressive environmental advocacy group endorsed Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for governor on Wednesday.

Sunrise Movement New Jersey, the Garden State’s chapter of the national organization, said Baraka is the candidate most committed to protecting the environment and supporting working families.

“New Jersey needs a governor who understands that the climate crisis is a working-class issue, a racial justice issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue,” Giselle Francis, hub coordinator for Sunrise North Jersey, said in a release. “Ras Baraka doesn’t just talk about justice, he organizes for it, builds it, and delivers it. That’s the kind of leadership we need in Trenton.”

Baraka is one of six Democrats seeking the party’s nomination to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy. Early, in-person voting has begun, and Election Day is Tuesday.

Baraka is perhaps the most progressive candidate in the race, and his environmental platform includes updated zoning laws for climate-friendly infrastructure and a continuation of Murphy’s goal of fossil fuel-free energy production by 2035.

Sunrise prominently pushes the Green New Deal, an aggressive climate policy proposal that seeks to combine green energy production with the wide-ranging labor programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

“Mayor Baraka sees the climate crisis for what it is, a fight for our future,” Anthony Chan, hub coordinator for Sunrise Woolwich, said in the release. “He’s running on a vision that includes communities like Woolwich, not as an afterthought, but as part of a statewide strategy for environmental and economic justice. That’s the kind of leadership we need.”

Two other major environmental groups, the Sierra Club and the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, have endorsed Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair).