Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's arrest could shake up New Jersey's Democratic primary for governor

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest last week at a federal immigration detention facility could shake up the New Jersey governor’s race, as Baraka looks to appeal to progressive Democratic voters to win the crowded primary.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest last week at a federal immigration detention facility could shake up the New Jersey governor’s race, as Baraka looks to appeal to progressive Democratic voters to win the crowded primary.

Baraka is one of six Democrats on the June 10 primary ballot, and he has been campaigning for months as an unapologetic progressive but has been vastly outspent spreading that message on the airwaves. His arrest Friday at the facility, known as Delaney Hall, could boost his profile just as Democratic voters look for a candidate willing to fight President Donald Trump.

“We’re fighting to uphold the Constitution the United States,” Baraka told supporters on a call with a coalition of progressive groups Monday evening. “We’re fighting to uphold democracy that every single person deserves due process.”

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LaVar Young, who chairs the pro-Baraka super PAC One New Jersey United, said Baraka’s arrest shows “there’s only been one candidate that’s really been putting action behind his words.”