On this warm spring evening at Heard African Methodist Episcopal Church in Roselle, the air buzzed with the fire of conviction and the spirit of unity as local leaders, residents, and grassroots organizers came together for a powerful political rally.
The occasion: a full-throated endorsement of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for governor, a man many now see as the only candidate with the courage, clarity, and coalition to meet the moment in New Jersey’s most consequential election in a generation.
The pews were packed, and hope echoed off the walls as Councilwoman Cynthia Johnson and 4th Ward Borough Council candidate Marie Dupont led the charge, not only on behalf of Baraka’s gubernatorial campaign but also to signal the rise of a bold new generation of leadership ready to rebuild Roselle from the ground up.
In a borough battered by a vacuum of executive leadership and operational chaos — where a Republican fire chief moonlights as the acting business administrator and the CFO is available only one day a week — the need for stable, competent, and community-rooted governance could not be more urgent.
As Roselle’s municipal functions hang precariously in the balance, tonight’s rally made one thing unmistakably clear: the people of this borough are not waiting for rescue. They are rising.
Assemblyman Reginald Atkins, chairman of the Roselle Democratic Committee, set the tone with resolve in his voice, declaring that Roselle stands united behind Marie Dupont and Cynthia Johnson — two women who, in his words, “embody the best of Roselle — leaders who listen, act, and deliver.”
Their dual endorsement from the 38-member municipal Democratic Party wasn’t just a show of support. It was a call to action.
Dupont, an educator with deep ties to the community, has lit a fire in the 4th Ward.
Dupont’s candidacy has inspired hope in neighbors who have long felt ignored, sidelined by dysfunction and disillusionment. She speaks of progress and unity, not as buzzwords, but as the foundation for a future where families feel heard and government is a force for good.
Johnson, a retired law enforcement officer who was first elected in 2017 is a proven public servant, and she has emerged as a pillar of strength and stability.
Her bid for Council-at-Large comes at a time when Roselle desperately needs seasoned leadership capable of navigating crisis and charting a course toward equity and efficiency.
“This energy reflects the trust we’ve built together in Roselle. I’m excited to continue serving and delivering for our entire community alongside Marie.”
Former Mayor and Democratic Committee Vice Chairman Jamel Holley, did not mince words.
“The borough of Roselle is in trouble,” said Holley, outlining the laundry list of administrative vacancies and staffing dysfunction that threaten the borough’s ability to serve its people.
The message was clear: Without strong, capable leadership, Roselle risks becoming a cautionary tale.
Dupont and Johnson highlighted the momentum of Baraka’s gubernatorial campaign, saying there is a path forward defined by resilience, by service, and by people-powered change.
That spirit that fuels Ras Baraka’s campaign, the struggle for justice, Baraka has spent his career battling inequality with both poetry and policy.
Now, as he seeks to become the first Black governor of New Jersey, he carries with him the hopes of working people from every walk of life.
Backed by a coalition of some of the state’s most formidable progressive organizations — including New Jersey Working Families, Make the Road Action, and SEIU 32BJ — Baraka has emerged as the candidate of movement politics: bold, grassroots-driven, and unbought.
His May 9 arrest at Delaney Hall, where he served code violation notices alongside members of Congress, was not a scandal — it was a statement.
Standing against ICE abuses and demanding accountability, Baraka showed the kind of leadership too rarely seen in American politics today: principled, unflinching, and willing to put his body on the line for the voiceless.
In a Democratic primary now unshackled from the old machine politics of the “county line,” Baraka’s campaign is no longer a long shot. He is within striking distance of frontrunner Mikie Sherrill, a Blue Dog Democrat backed by the state’s entrenched power brokers, and Steven Fulop, who has scrambled to outflank Baraka on progressive issues.
Tonight’s rally in Roselle was more than a campaign stop. It was a reclamation. A declaration. It was the people of Roselle — long neglected by the corridors of power in Trenton — standing up and demanding something better.
They are not interested in the comfortable lies of the status quo. They are ready for leaders who serve, not posture. For public servants who know their names, their needs, and their neighborhoods.
Marie Dupont and Cynthia Johnson are not waiting for permission. Ras Baraka is not begging for favors. They are running — together — toward a future where government works for the many, not the few.
And tonight, before a standing room only crowd in the heart of Roselle, these Democrats proved they are not alone.
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