Ras Baraka

Ras Baraka
40th Mayor of Newark
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2014
Preceded byLuis Quintana
Member of the Newark Municipal Council
from the South Ward
In office
July 1, 2010 – July 1, 2014
Preceded byOscar James
Succeeded byJohn James
Member of the Newark Municipal Council
from the at-large district
In office
November 2, 2005 – July 1, 2006
Preceded byDonald Kofi Tucker
Succeeded byMildred Crump
Personal details
Born
Ras Jua Baraka

(1969-04-09) April 9, 1969 (age 55)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Linda Jumah
​
(m. 2019)​
Relations
Children4
EducationHoward University (BA)
Saint Peter's University (MA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Ras Jua Baraka (born April 9, 1969[1][2] or 1970[3][4]) is an American educator, author, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Baraka is the 40th and current mayor of Newark, New Jersey. First elected in the 2014 election, he was sworn into office on May 13, 2014,[5] and was reelected in 2018 and 2022.

Prior to his election as mayor, he served on the Municipal Council of Newark and as principal of the city's Central High School.[6] Baraka is a candidate for governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT1994 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ The Honorable Ras Baraka, The History Makers. Accessed October 2, 2024. "Political leader Ras Baraka was born on April 9, 1969 in Newark, New Jersey to writer and playwright Amiri Baraka and poet Amina Baraka."
  3. ^ ""Baraka, Ras", Our Campaigns". Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  4. ^ Jones, Kellie; Baraka, Imanu Amini (2011), EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, p. 467, ISBN 978-0822348733
  5. ^ Dawsey, Josh (May 13, 2014). "Ras Baraka Is Elected Mayor of Newark". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  6. ^ "City of Newark, NJ: Ras J. Baraka". City of Newark, New Jersey. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.