The 55-year-old Ras Baraka is an unabashed progressive who has served as Newark’s mayor for more than a decade. He’s got a lock on the far left lane in this tight, six-way primary race and offers voters a clear choice.

Most recently, the political standoff over Delaney Hall as an immigrant detention center where he was arrested on Friday, has given Baraka a prime-time opportunity to show New Jersey Democrats how he would take the lead as governor, stepping up to directly confront the Trump administration’s push to house detainees there.

On other issues, the former educator and son of poet-activist Amiri Baraka launched a transitional Housing First initiative that helped push Newark’s homeless rate down by 50%. And as governor, Baraka has said he would create a public works project to build affordable housing across the state.

His agenda carries a big price tag, as Baraka has also focused on equity in health care and in education. But he said everyone should pay their fair share, including the millionaires and billionaires.

Baraka has focused his campaign around the state on carving out his constituencies amongst progressives and people of color.

Baraka will join U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th), Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney in NJ Spotlight News’ “Conversations with the Gubernatorial Candidates” this Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. on NJ PBS and the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel. This is one of the mandatory public events for candidates receiving public financing.

[Editor’s note: This story has been updated since first publication to clarify Baraka’s campaign focus.]