Dear colleague,
This morning, our union joined together with other progressive NJ unions and social justice advocates to endorse Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for governor of New Jersey. We hope this coordinated announcement will boost support for his campaign, with the Democratic primary vote approaching rapidly (vote-by-mail ballots will start going out on April 19; the election is on June 10).
Our university, our students, our members and colleagues, and our communities face difficult challenges and dire threats from the Trump administration’s assault. We need a governor who can represent our outrage on the national stage and articulate an alternative vision that puts New Jersey working people first.
Though there are several candidates in the Democratic primary field who align with our goals, none represent our union’s values more clearly than Mayor Baraka. He is the most progressive big-city mayor in America, willing to fight for public health care, workers’ rights, affordable housing, and our freedoms as educators, researchers, and active citizens. His higher education platform includes support for contingent faculty, improving health care for our members, lowering the fringe rates on state research grants, and making college more affordable for our students.
Last week, our AAUP-AFT Executive Council voted in favor of endorsing Mayor Baraka—following two public forums where members could hear from the candidates and a lengthy screening process organized by our Joint Legislative Committee with the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union. The adjunct union is holding a membership vote on endorsement, which its Executive Board has recommended.
Our partners in the Build and Defend New Jersey coalition—including 32BJ SEIU, New Jersey Citizen Action, Make the Road Action New Jersey, the New Jersey Working Families Party, and the Workers United LDFS Joint Board—will join us this coming Monday, April 14, at 12:30 p.m. at the union’s Bell House office at 11 Stone Street in New Brunswick for a joint press event featuring Mayor Baraka. We invite you to attend; click here to let us know you’re coming.
Our union hasn’t made endorsements in Democratic primary races in the past. We are doing so now in the hopes that we can build support for the most progressive candidate in the primary. As one of only two states with a governor’s race this November, people around the country and the world will want to see how US voters are responding to the Trump era. With this endorsement, we want to help set the narrative: that we are choosing progress and new voices, not business as usual.
But to achieve this, we need our members to participate in this election like we never have before. This endorsement is just the first step. We ask you to make a commitment now to work for this campaign in alliance with our union and community partners—whether in conversations with your family, friends, and neighbors or in organized canvassing and leafleting for the campaign.
The stakes are high in this November’s election, but we think our unions are rising to the challenge. We invite you to Bell House on Monday to help us take the first step.
In solidarity,
Matthew Buckley, Joint Legislative Committee Co-Chair, Rutgers AAUP-AFT