Ras Baraka
Ras Jua Baraka 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, 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. Baraka is a candidate for governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election.