NJ-08: Menendez will have Baraka in his corner for primary
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has in recent years become one of the leaders of New Jersey’s burgeoning progressive movement, but in one congressional race that overlaps with his hometown, he and the political establishment are on the same page.
Baraka will support Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), whose 8th district includes around one-third of Newark, in his fight for a third term in Congress; Menendez faces a primary challenge from Mussab Ali, the former president of the Jersey City Board of Education.
“The fight we are in against Trump’s agenda of chaos and cruelty is the fight of our lives. And I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rob in this critical moment in our nation’s history,” Baraka said in a statement.
Baraka has been a Menendez ally for years, endorsing him in both his 2022 and 2024 congressional campaigns. The latter campaign was an expensive and bitter affair that pitted Menendez against then-Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who successfully activated local progressives in Jersey City and Hoboken but fell short against the might of the Hudson County Democratic machine, which is once again supporting Menendez this year.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/menendez-will-have-baraka-in-his-corner-for-nj-8-primary/