Anibal Ramos Jr.

Anibal Ramos Jr. is a Democratic politician who has been a member of the Municipal Council of Newark, New Jersey, representing the North Ward, since 2006 and briefly acted as Council President in 2013.

Background
Born and raised in Newark, Ramos is a Puerto Rican American and grew up living in the Columbus Homes housing project in the Seventh Avenue-Broadway neighbourhood. He studied urban history, political science, and nonprofit management at Rutgers University. He has worked for Newark Public Schools. and for Essex County Department of Economic Development, Training and Employment., as Director of the Division of Training and Employment.

2014 mayoral candidacy
On May 30, 2013 Ramos announced he would run in the May 13, 2014 Newark mayoral election. Other candidates included Council Members Ras Baraka and Darrin S. Sharif and former Assistant State Attorney General Shavar Jeffries.

Among supporters at the announcement were Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., North Ward power broker Steve Adubato Sr., State Senator Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), Essex Freeholder Blonnie Watson, Rev. Ron Christian, East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador. Ramos has since received endorsements from building trades unions the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC), the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 825 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1158, which represents close to 1,700 workers based in Essex County.

Ramos supports the creation of alliances between the Newark Police Department and neighborhood community groups and civic organisations as strategy to counter gang-activity. He has proposed re-distribution of the city's police force.

Both Ramos and Sharif dropped out of the race on February 12, 2014, with Ramos endorsing Jeffries, and later joining his slate.