Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has emerged as a potential frontrunner in the race to become the next governor of New Jersey. Mayor Baraka points toward multiple achievements during his leadership of Newark, including reducing homicides in the city by 61% and returning Newark schools to local control years after the state had taken over the city’s school system. Economically, Baraka led efforts to establish the state’s first Land Bank in Newark to create more affordable homes and “investing $200 million into Black and brown businesses” to represent communities that are “economically distressed and historically underrepresented.” In addition to those achievements, Mayor Baraka also highlights more innovative policies he has tested in Newark. In a recent interview with Blavity, Baraka said, “Cities are the labs of democracy. I look at crisis all the time as opportunity.” Baraka points toward pilot guaranteed income and guaranteed education programs he has implemented in Newark, as well as...