NEWARK, NJ - City officials have flocked to social media to congratulate Mayor Ras Baraka, who wed in Newark on Saturday.

Baraka, 48, married Linda Jumah, a political consultant who once worked on his campaign. Lawmakers like Gov. Phil Murphy attended the marriage ceremony at the Newark Museum, according to a councilman who attended the wedding and photos posted on social media.

The mayor in January told TAPinto Newark he traveled to Ghana for a traditional "union of families" ceremony. He said the practice is similar to a wedding, but no marriage license was issued in the United States.

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Jumah was unable to attend the ceremony in Ghana with Baraka since she was still on federal probation for tax evasion.

“The whole world will know,” Baraka said in January when asked if he would share news about his marriage in the United States.

Baraka could not be reached for comment, but a city spokesman confirmed that the mayor married Jumah on Saturday.

South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James attended the wedding and congratulated the mayor and his new wife.

“I support the mayor 100 percent and I think it’s good that he was able to find someone, a soul mate,” South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James told TAPinto Newark.





“I really wish them a beautiful life together. In this country with all the turmoil, it’s sometimes rare to find individuals who want to get married, want to pledge their lives together for the future. I’m just very happy for him -- for the both of them.”

Multiple people who work in the city also congratulated Baraka on his marriage online.

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