A Closer Look: How NJ’s Governor Candidates Say They’ll Improve Health & Safety for Women and Communities of Color.
Watching New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates speak live in Newark at The Race for NJ Governor Social Justice Forum offered a much clearer picture of their priorities. The event was especially powerful in highlighting where each candidate stands on maternal health, public safety, and racial equity. One particularly notable moment was the enthusiastic response Newark Mayor Ras Baraka received each time he spoke. Whether due to the Newark setting or his deep alignment with the issues discussed, the strong resonance between his message and the audience was unmistakable.
Maternal Health: More than Access, It’s About Equity.
Across the board, candidates acknowledged New Jersey’s staggering maternal health disparities. Black women in the state are seven times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, a crisis that persists regardless of income, education, or zip code. Mayor Baraka did not hesitate to mention the root issue, racism. “You cannot be afraid of the women of our community and care for them at the same time,” he said, calling for a statewide committee of Black and Brown women to hold hospitals accountable. He also pushed for state funding of doulas and midwifes, arguing they should be “allowed in hospitals with our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters.”
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, focused on breaking the influence of major corporations like Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. He supported a single-payer healthcare system to remove profit from life and death decisions, stating that New Jersey’s system is “rotten to the core.” Additionally, New Jersey Education Association President, Sean Spiller, emphasized the need to invest in nutrition, environmental justice, and mental health, not just clinical services. “Every one of these things has an impact on pregnancy,” he said. “We need to address every single one of these pieces. They are connected conversations.”
State Senator Jon Bramnick added a structural concern, “We have to fully fund hospitals and make sure physicians are treated properly… the system is upside down.” He pointed out that some specialists earn less than tradespeople, a factor that affects quality and access. While Rep. Mikie Sherrill advocated for long-term investments in data, early intervention, and culturally competent care. “We are not taking Black women’s healthcare seriously,” she said bluntly. “Until we do, we won’t get the outcomes we want.”
Policing & Public Safety: From Accountability to Prevention
Policing reform was another topic at the forum, with candidates offering a range of solutions while collectively acknowledging that communities of color are disproportionately harmed by the current system. Steven Fulop highlighted his tenure as Mayor of Jersey City, emphasizing both structural reforms and accountability measures within the police department. “We’ve probably fired or disciplined more officers than anyone in the state,” he noted, while calling for civilian review boards with real subpoena power to ensure meaningful oversight. Whereas, Sean Spiller brought the issue back to personal and community trauma, “No mother should have to teach their child how to survive a police encounter. That’s what’s wrong.” He advocated for police training that focuses on bias and accountability, and for restoring rights to people returning from incarceration.
Additionally, Mikie Sherrill stressed prevention, “We keep sending way more Black and Brown kids to prison than we do anyone else for the same offenses. That’s unacceptable.” She urged policy changes to dismantle the school to prison pipeline.
Former Senate President, Steve Sweeney, emphasized structural reform, citing his leadership in passing the state’s independent prosecutor law, a policy aimed at improving public trust by removing conflicts of interests in investigations of police misconduct.
Stephen Zielinski and Jon Bramnick both emphasized the importance of rebuilding community trust while ensuring fair and balanced oversight of law enforcement. Zielinski also criticized the broader system of for-profit incarceration, stating, “We need to step up to the plate and say no more.”
Common Ground and Key Contrasts
While there was a consensus on the urgency of addressing disparities in both maternal health and policing, the candidates differed in how they’d do it. Candidates like Fulop, Baraka, and Spiller emphasized structural reforms such as breaking up healthcare monopolies, creating independent police oversight boards, and directing funding towards community-based programs. While institutionalists like Bramnick and Sweeney focused on state-level efficiency and better leadership. Lastly, health-focused voices like Sherrill and Zielinski highlighted early intervention, holistic care, and a rejection of profit-driven systems.
What became clear from this forum is that NJ healthcare and public safety systems are not serving everyone equally, especially not Black women and communities of color. Several candidates had bold, detailed ideas while others voiced deep frustration with the status quo. The next step? Making sure these promises translate into policy. And that starts with voting in the primary election on June 6th, 2025, and the gubernatorial election on November 4th, 2025.