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Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins
Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins is running in a special election to the Newark City Council to represent Central Ward in New Jersey. Jenkins is on the ballot in the special general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Jenkins was a member of the Newark City Council in New Jersey, representing Central Ward. Jenkins assumed office on July 1, 2014. Jenkins left office on June 30, 2018.
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Newark, New Jersey (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
Special general election for Newark City Council Central Ward
Amina Bey, Walter Jacobs, Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, George Tillman, and Jhamar Youngblood are running in the special general election for Newark City Council Central Ward on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Amina Bey (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Walter Jacobs (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins (Nonpartisan) | |
 | George Tillman (Nonpartisan) | |
| Jhamar Youngblood (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2018
The city of Newark, New Jersey, held a general election for mayor on May 8, 2018. Incumbent Ras J. Baraka defeated Newark City Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins to secure a second term as Mayor.
Chaneyfield Jenkins backed Baraka's 2014 mayoral bid, running as part of his slate of candidates. She later broke with the mayor.[1]
"When Ras Baraka said during the 2014 campaign 'When I become mayor, we become mayor,' he didn't mean all of us," she said. "He meant him and his brother. When he talks about a Newark we can believe in, many Newarkers don't believe in what he's doing. I took off my rose-colored glasses long ago."[2]
A Baraka campaign statement referred to Chaneyfield Jenkins only as a challenger, saying "Elections are a democratic process in which anyone can participate. The Mayor's focus remains set on moving Newark forward."[3]
The candidates differed on issues like development and education. Chaneyfield Jenkins opposed a Baraka-backed proposal mandating a number of low-income housing units in new residential developments. She was also against a state moratorium on charter school expansion that had Baraka's support.[4][5][6]
| Newark Mayor, General Election, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ras Baraka Incumbent |
77.00% | 22,094 |
| Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins | 22.69% | 6,510 |
| Write-in votes | 0.31% | 90 |
| Total Votes | 28,694 | |
| Source: Essex County, "Official Results," accessed May 25, 2018 | ||
Campaign finance
Jenkins reported $192,072.92 in contributions and $172,924.71 in expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, leaving her campaign with $19,148.21 cash on hand as of January 15, 2018.[7]
2014
Elections for the city council of Newark, New Jersey took place on May 12, 2014. Incumbent Darrin S. Sharif faced Victor Zamora, Shawn McCray, Andre L. Speight, Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, Miguel D. Arce, Rafael A. Brito and Czezre T. Adams for the Central Ward seat. Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters - Sharif and Jenkins - met in a runoff election on June 10, which Jenkins won.[8][9][10]
| Newark City Council, Central Ward, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins |
62.3% | 2,283 | |
| Darrin S. Sharif Incumbent | 37.5% | 1,374 | |
| Write-in | 0.2% | 8 | |
| Total Votes | 3,665 | ||
| Source: Essex County Clerk's Office - 2014 Runoff Election Results | |||
| Newark City Council, Central Ward, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins |
25.1% | 1,726 | |
| Darrin S. Sharif Incumbent |
32.5% | 2,236 | |
| Victor Zamora | 4.4% | 306 | |
| Andre L. Speight | 10% | 689 | |
| Shawn McCray | 15.8% | 1,085 | |
| Miguel D. Arce | 2.9% | 201 | |
| Rafael A. Brito | 6.6% | 453 | |
| Czezre T. Adams | 2.5% | 175 | |
| Write-in | 0.2% | 11 | |
| Total Votes | 6,042 | ||
| Source: Essex County Clerk's Office - 2014 Election Results | |||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2018
| “ | The Team Chaneyfield Jenkins will fight to deliver better city services, increase public safety, add more affordable housing options, and reduce property taxes and water and sewer rates.
We will also create innovative and sustainable recreation programs for our youth and senior citizens, expand job opportunities and create effective workforce development programs, and work to improve our educational system. Join our movement—vote May 8th, and let’s make history together![11][12] |
” |
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Gayle + Chaneyfield-Jenkins + Newark"
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Essex County Politics, "Baraka pressures Quintana, rolls out council slate in Newark mayoral race," March 8, 2014
- ↑ TAP into Newark, "Chaneyfield Jenkins launches bid to unseat Baraka," January 9, 2018
- ↑ Ras J. Baraka, "Mayor Ras Baraka's re-election campaign response to new challenger entering 2018 mayoral race," January 9, 2018
- ↑ TAP into Newark, "Baraka, Chaneyfield Jenkins battle over inclusionary zoning at council meeting," August 2, 2017
- ↑ Anibal Ramos Jr., "Newark City Council passes resolution opposing state legislation limiting charter school growth," May 12, 2015
- ↑ The Newark Report, "The plight of students in Newark's public school system," December 30, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Candidate and Election Related Committee Listing," accessed March 28, 2018
- ↑ City of Newark, "Candidate list" accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ City of Newark, "Official election results," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ City of Newark, "Official runoff election results," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins 2018 campaign website, "Our Vision," accessed March 6, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Darrin S. Sharif |
Newark City Council, Central Ward 2014–Present |
Succeeded by NA |
| ||||||||||
 |
State of New Jersey Trenton (capital) |
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