Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has not ruled out running for lieutenant governor of New Jersey and would entertain an offer to become Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s running mate if she asks him, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.
A senior advisor to Baraka, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told the New Jersey Globe that Baraka is preparing to sit down with Sherrill to discuss the campaign.
“Mayor Baraka sits in a unique place relative to the math Mikie needs in November,” the advisor said. “Demographic groups have changed in the state, and based on the results, that makes him the logical choice.”
Baraka finished second in Tuesday’s six-candidate primary with 20.5% of the vote. He won Essex County by six points and carried Union County by nine points.
“Ras knows what the numbers mean,” his advisor stated. “All options are on the table.”
On election night, Baraka told a reporter that he didn’t want the job.
“No, I don’t want to be lieutenant governor, but I think the reality is we need to be able to choose who the lieutenant governor is,” he said. “Working-class families’ voices need to be in the direction that this party goes in.”
Now, two days after the primary, the rejection of the number two post is not as definitive.
For Baraka to accept the job, if offered, would largely depend on what role Sherrill might have in mind for him in state government they win, three people with direct knowledge of the situation said.
The three-term mayor of the state’s largest city could help Sherrill turn out voters of color in the general election in a state where Democrats have struggled in recent years to generate voter turnout in urban areas.
He received over 160,000 votes in the primary.
“If we really want to win, we need a united front to beat Jack Ciattarelli,” said New Jersey Working Families State Director Antoinette Miles, who was part of a coalition that supported Baraka. “We need these voters to be energized and be part of the path forward.”
Three candidates who staked out progressive agendas – Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, and Baraka – combined for 47.2% of the Democratic gubernatorial primary vote. Still, Sherrill had significant support from grassroots progressive groups and elected officials.
The coalition, which included Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Make the Road Action, New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Working Families Party, and SEIU 32BJ, issued a statement today that didn’t reference the lieutenant governor post but instead called on Sherrill to recognize “a new era in New Jersey politics.”
“If Democrats want to win in November, these now-energized voters must be part of the path forward,” the groups said. “That coalition can’t be taken for granted in November—they need a reason to turn out. And the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Sherrill, who won the primary by fourteen points, has until July 28 to select a candidate for lieutenant governor.