Baraka meets with Chicago mayoral hopeful who's trying to unseat Rahm Emanuel
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka didn't come toJesùs. Jesùs came to him.
Jesùs "Chuy" Garcia, that is — the insurgent Democrat who is attempting to unseat Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on April 7.
The Auditor has learned that the labor-backed New Jersey Working Families Alliance — which helped Baraka in his race against Shavar Jeffries last year — arranged a dinner meeting between Baraka and Garcia at Adega Grill in Newark's Ironbound Monday night while Garcia was in the area for a fundraising swing.
A sister organization in Chicago is backing Garcia. And activists see parallels between the two men. Baraka, with the backing of organized labor and especially the city's teachers union, defeated the establishment-backed Jeffries in 2014. Garcia is attempting to ride a similar anti-establishment wave 800 miles away, although, unlike Baraka, he faces an incumbent.
Chicago mayoral candidate Jesus "Chuy" Garcia meets with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at Adega Grill in Newark "It's a very similarDavid and Goliathstory," said Analilia Mejia, executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance. "They both have organizing community service background, they both have this history of being deeply rooted in their communities and going into public service to really push the progressive values. And they're facing off with some large, I would say well-funded Goliaths."
Emanuel, a former congressman who became the first chief of staff for President Obama before leaving in late 2010 to run for mayor, came in first place among five candidates in last months' election but failed to win a majority, forcing him into a run off with Garcia. Emanuel finished with 45.6 percent to Garcia's 33.5 percent.
Despite his deep Democratic credentials, Emanuel is unpopular with much of organized labor and other liberal groups — most notably the city's teachers union, whose members struck in 2012.
"The underlying thing here is this question of organized people versus organized money," Mejia said. "Pushing people to recognize that this model of private gain that a lot of corporate Democrats end up pushing or promoting shouldn't trump the common good. We were excited to get them together."
In a statement, Baraka said "I enjoyed meeting with Chuy Garcia. He is a progressive Latino candidate. I wish him well and support his efforts to become the next mayor of Chicago."Baraka meets with Chicago mayoral hopeful who's trying to unseat Rahm Emanuel | The Auditor | NJ.com:
