Brian Varela’s quest to claim the progressive mantle in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district has gained a key new ally: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Baraka, who ran an unambiguously left-wing campaign for governor last year that made him a hero for many state progressives and Black voters, said that Varela, one of six Democrats looking to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), is the right choice for the highly competitive district.
“In these uncertain times, New Jersey’s families are looking for a fighter, and Brian is a proven leader unafraid to step up, speak out, and push back,” Baraka said. “Brian is committed to delivering real economic justice, stopping corporate greed, and standing up against the terror of Trump’s ICE agents, and that’s why he is the Democrat who can win in November.”
Throughout his campaign, Varela has made a point of taking more progressive stances than many of his Democratic primary opponents and soliciting endorsements from figures like Patricia Campos-Medina, who ran against now-Senator Andy Kim from the left in 2024. (It’s a strategy that has led national Republicans to repeatedly shine the spotlight on Varela’s “ dangerous” and “radical” campaign.)
Baraka himself, though, came in third place in the 2025 gubernatorial primary within the boundaries of the 7th district, earning 15% of the vote to the much more moderate Mikie Sherrill’s 46%. (Varela also has the support of former State Senate President Steve Sweeney, who finished in last place in that same primary.)
The 7th district isn’t the only place where Baraka is testing his political muscle this year; in the neighboring 11th district, where a special Democratic primary will be held this Thursday, February 5, he’s joined a number of other leading progressives in supporting former Bernie Sanders staffer Analilia Mejia.
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