Ras Baraka continues to claim the progressive lane in the six-person race for the Democratic nomination for governor. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for New Jersey Monitor/Baraka photo by Fran Baltzer)
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka joined members of major progressive organizations in New Brunswick Monday to celebrate their decision last week to endorse his gubernatorial bid.
Baraka, on his third term as mayor of New Jersey’s largest city, has made a push to claim the progressive lane in the crowded race to become New Jersey’s next governor as he vies with five other Democrats to win their party’s nomination on June 10.
He has rallied with protestors outside a planned immigrant jail in Newark, said the state should discuss reparations for slavery, and pushed for a universal basic income. And on Monday he called for “economic prosperity for all working families” alongside members of his new progressive backers, including the New Jersey Working Families Party, New Jersey Citizen Action, and Make the Road Action.
“This is not only our chance to push back against the failed and bankrupt and racist policies of Donald Trump, but it’s also an opportunity for us to build the democracy we want to see in New Jersey, to build economic prosperity for all working families so they’re not crushed by medical bills, they’re not crushed by housing costs, not crushed by inequality and lack of opportunity,” Baraka told an excited crowd outside a union building off the Rutgers University campus.
There are few public polls that have gauged Baraka’s support compared to his Democratic rivals. But a March 5 Fairleigh Dickinson University poll measuring the candidates’ favorability put Baraka on top with self-described progressives, with Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop tied for second. The other three Democrats in the race — Rep. Josh Gottheimer, teachers union chief Sean Spiller, and ex-state Sen. Steve Sweeney — were further behind.
Dan Cassino, director of the poll, said Baraka has taken a simple path to win the support of progressives: going far to the left of the median progressive. But Cassino said it’s unclear what will matter more to progressive voters — progressive policies or opposition to the establishment. If progressive voters are mad about Trump’s policies, that may play out in Baraka’s favor, while Fulop may gain if more of them are upset about Democrats not standing up to Trump, Cassino said. Fulop has campaigned as an alternative to Democratic machine politics.
“If the race is framed around policy arguments, Baraka is likely to do very well, as his policy stances are rather to the left of his competitors,” Cassino said. “But we’ve seen that Fulop is doing his best to frame the race around opposition to the institutional party: if that’s what people are using to make their decisions, he’s likely to do better.”
Fulop, the three-term mayor of the state’s second-largest city, has touted his “smart, progressive leadership,” but on Monday said he doesn’t define his campaign as a progressive one, adding that he wants to win over moderate Democrats.
“We’ve been tremendously responsible on the financial front, how we think about housing, how we think about driving costs — so I think our campaign is a little different,” he said. “It is the broadest breadth of a coalition of anybody, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to peg us in one corner.”
Fulop brushed off the endorsements Baraka cinched from progressive groups, calling it “fine.” Tens of millions of dollars will be spent in the primary, Fulop said, and no single organization will influence the outcome.
Fulop said he wants to be the candidate with the most detailed policies. Appearing near his childhood home in Edison Monday, he discussed his new plan to make New Jersey more affordable, with ideas ranging from consolidating municipal resources to overhauling the nascent Stay NJ tax cut program for seniors.
Fulop did not mention Trump during his event, while Baraka made Trump’s economic policies and billionaire allies a focal point of his own rally. Baraka said voters are looking for leadership and conversations instead of wonky politician-speak that makes them feel left out.
“If policy was how you win elections, Elizabeth Warren would be on her second term,” he said. “The reality is, people need leadership. They need your voice. They need your action. They need you to inspire them. They need hope.”
Cassino believes the fight over the progressive voting bloc is “less about policy than it is about framing.”
“The question of who most appeals to progressive voters is a question of what concerns are on top of mind among voters at that moment,“ he said.
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