Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has become the second delegate from New Jersey to announce his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.
“I do not celebrate this. Joe Biden, flawed as we all are, is a much better candidate and much better person than Donald Trump,” said Baraka. “Kamala Harris, in that same sense, is a far better human and will make an infinitely better President. I look forward to supporting her candidacy and doing everything I can to make sure Kamala Harris, once again, makes history. “
Baraka, an announced candidate for governor in 2025, said that “Biden’s commitment to public service is unmatched and he did something today that Trump could never do: he put this country first.”
“I hope that Democrats can stand together in this moment, that we move beyond political opportunism, and we unite what is a clearly divided party,” he said. “Our sole focus must be on supporting Harris, defeating Trump, and saving this country.”
Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman announced his support of Harris earlier this afternoon.
If Harris is the nominee, it means Democrats will have nominated a woman in two of the last three elections, and a Black presidential candidate in three of the last five.