After months of speculation, Newark Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins officially launched her campaign today to unseat incumbent Mayor Ras Baraka.
Chaneyfield-Jenkins first served on the city council from 1995 to 2006, and was re-elected on the 2014 Baraka ticket. The two former allies have since butted heads on a myriad of issues. Chaneyfield-Jenkins says she believes the city and its residents deserve more form their elected officials, and says the time is now.
"When incompetency and ineptitude is the rule of the day and costs taxpayers millions of dollars in unprecedented awards and settlements. We must be honest about the conditions we're living in in Newark, and know that as a city and a community coming together we can do better."
Baraka campaign spokeswoman Samantha Gordon says in a statement that elections are a democratic process in which anyone can participate, adding that the Mayor’s focus remains on moving Newark forward. If elected Chaneyfield-Jenkins would become the first female Mayor of New Jersey’s largest City.
