Mayor-backed candidate wins Newark special election for city council by 97 votes

In a close special election, Mayor Ras J. Baraka and outgoing Councilwoman Lamonica McIver supported Amina Bey, who won the Central Ward City Council seat by 97 votes. Newark residents were worried. On Tuesday, certified results confirmed Bey’s close win in the city’s political battle.

Of 8,381 Central Ward votes, Bey received 3,302, 39.4%. At 38.3%, Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins’ 3,204 votes highlighted the close race. The race was decided by 1.16%, so every vote matters in local elections.

Historic victory. Bey claimed to be Newark’s first Muslim elected official on social media. Thanking her supporters, she promised to make Central Ward safer, feed everyone, and boost the economy. Bey’s victory shows Newark’s diverse leaders and changes its political representation.

Bey, 57, from the Central Ward, has spent decades in housing and workforce development. For Mayor Baraka, she ran the Office of Workforce Development and Newark Emergency Services for Families. She knows the ward’s issues and opportunities from community activism.

For Bey, Newark matters. Community-building nonprofit WISOMMM was founded by Mother Fredrica Bey. Co-chair Amina Bey of Newark has always been community-minded.

New Jersey’s 10th District special congressional election winner Lamonica McIver resigned. Similar to Newark, this special election was non-partisan mayor-council. Bey’s narrow victory shows Newark’s competitive local politics.

Bey had 87 votes before provisional ballots. Certification was needed to determine the winner from over 500 provisional ballots. Another dropped candidate, Walter Jacobs, got 106 votes. George Tillman Jr. received 757 votes, Jahmar Youngblood 1,012.

Chaneyfield Jenkins promised her supporters she would defend Newark residents and address important issues while Bey runs for office. She didn’t declare that she would run for Central Ward and other council seats in May.

The election shows how local government impacts community goals. Bey prioritizes public safety, economic opportunity, and citywide social programs. Each vote counts, and local politics can change the city’s future, as the race shows.

Sources:

• Essex County Clerk Office

• Newark City Council Official Website

• Newark Emergency Services for Families

• Mayor Ras J. Baraka Official Statements