Baraka Backs Sherrill In NJ Governor Race; Democrats' Top 2 Vote-Getters Join Forces

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey governor candidate Mikie Sherrill has nailed down a big endorsement from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka – the second-highest vote getter in the 2025 Democratic primary election.

Baraka announced his endorsement of Sherrill on Wednesday at a meet and greet event in Newark.

Sherrill – who is currently serving as a U.S. Congress member in the 11th district – said she is excited to “work side by side” with Baraka.

The congresswoman won the Democratic primary in June, getting 286,244 votes statewide. Baraka got 173,951 votes. Other Democratic Party candidates who ran in the primary included Steven Fulop (134,573 votes), Josh Gottheimer (97,384 votes), Sean Spiller (89,472 votes), and Steve Sweeney (59,811 votes).

Jack Ciattarelli captured the Republican Party nomination – as well as an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Ciattarelli saw 316,283 votes in the primary, a sizable difference from second-place candidate Bill Spadea (101,408 votes), Jon Bramnick (29,130 votes), Mario Kranjac (12,782 votes), and Justin Barbera (6,743 votes).

• See Related: Immigration, Healthcare, Energy Costs: Q&A With Jack Ciattarelli

Sherrill – a former U.S. Navy pilot and ex-federal prosecutor who represents the state’s 11th congressional district – said this year’s primary was one of the most competitive in New Jersey history. The congresswoman said her campaign relied heavily on “grassroots support.” Throughout the race, nearly 2,000 volunteers knocked on 120,000 doors, made 200,000 calls, and put out more than half a million text messages to voters.

Along the way, Sherrill earned endorsements from organizations like the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Chatham Moms for Change, Door to Door Democracy, New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, and Laborers International Union of North America.

• See Related: NJ Democrats Rally Behind Mikie Sherrill After Primary Election

Now she has another supporter in her corner: the mayor of the state’s most populated city.

Baraka leaned heavily on his reputation as a “progressive” candidate during his campaign for governor, making his presence felt at rallies, protests and other left-leaning political gatherings across North Jersey.

After launching his governor campaign, Baraka continued to hammer on themes of inequality and social justice, releasing a plan to tackle the state’s housing crisis and blasting controversial changes to the state’s public records access laws. He is also a staunch opponent of a new ICE immigrant detention facility that is being opened in Newark – the first under President Donald Trump’s second term. Baraka also campaigned on the protest circuit, attending rallies against expanding the NJ Turnpike, building a new power plant in Newark, and making potential cuts to the state budget.

• See Related: NJ Mayor's Strong Showing In Primary Gives Progressives Hope: 'Not The End'

Baraka said some of these battles will be continued to be fought in Sherrill’s campaign.

“I was recently a candidate in the race to be New Jersey’s next governor because I understand how critical the moment we are in now is,” Baraka said. “This country faces a serious threat which includes our state. We need a governor who will stand up for working people and the issues that affect our community.”

“After a series of conversations about Black maternal mortality, the growing wealth gap, deep inequities around business and home ownership, and clearing a pathway to the middle class for the marginalized, I know that Congresswoman Sherrill is the best choice for us all,” Baraka continued. “She will lead with compassion and strength to not just protect our state from Trump's overreach but against long standing economic barriers that keep our state divided and unequal.”

Sherrill’s campaign team said that she and Baraka have several goals in common: “lowering costs for families, helping kids succeed, and bringing accountability and transparency to Trenton.”

“Together, we’re going to work to address some of our state’s most pressing issues, by expanding access to generational wealth, improving Black maternal health outcomes, and lowering costs for working families,” Sherrill said.

The congresswoman – who has been critical of the Trump administration and “MAGA Republican extremists” in the past – has pointed to the president’s recent endorsement of Ciattarelli and accused him of being a “Trump yes man.”

“We know what we’re up against in Jack Ciattarelli, who is going to do whatever Trump tells him while New Jerseyans pay the price,” Sherrill reiterated Wednesday.

Sherrill holds a nine-point lead over Ciattarelli, according to a recent poll from Rutgers-Eagleton.

• See Related: Poll Names Leader In 2025 NJ Governor Race: Sherrill vs. Ciattarelli
• See Related: Mikie Sherrill Picks Running Mate For 2025 NJ Governor Election

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