NEWARK, NJ — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is among those cheering for a landmark court decision that could be a factor in his own campaign for New Jersey governor in 2025.
On Friday, a federal judge issued a court injunction involving New Jersey’s primary ballot design – commonly referred to as the “county line” or “party line.”
Now, county clerks across the state will have to stop using the controversial ballot layout in time for the 2024 Democratic Party primary election, a federal judge ruled Friday. This year’s Republican Party primary election will be unaffected by the injunction, he later added.
Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Baraka – who is running for governor when Phil Murphy’s term ends and has campaigned as a Democrat under the party line in previous primary elections – issued a statement in the wake of Friday’s court ruling.
He wrote:
Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Today’s decision by Judge Quraishi was the right one. ‘The Line’ is, and has always been, anti-democratic. We as a party have always known it was wrong and yet we lived with it for decades.
“From here, we can do two things: one, we can continue struggling to maintain a system that we know undermines our values and the people’s faith in our institutions. This is the wrong decision and it would undoubtedly further erode our standing as a party in New Jersey and around the country.
“Or two, we can end this now – no appeals, no political schemes, no more debate. The option and opportunity is right here to abide by the judge’s decision and begin to openly and collectively change the way we elect our representatives in this state. I am hopeful that we see the wisdom in embracing this moment. I hope we look past our present discomfort and embrace the future of what democracy will look like in New Jersey.”
Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: tyrone gaa jerseys