Newark City Council Central Ward in Newark, New Jersey

2026 Primary Election

• Amina Bey — Incumbent City Council Member, Central Ward in Newark, New Jersey

  Amina Bey is the incumbent council member for Newark's Central Ward, having won a special election on November 4, 2025. She is the first Muslim elected to the Newark Municipal Council. A lifelong resident of Newark, Bey has a background in the public and non-profit sectors, focusing on social services, workforce development, and nonprofit management. She has served as the Executive Director of Newark Emergency Services for Families (NESF) since 2019. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Newark Workforce Development Board and worked for Essex County for 15 years in workforce development and social service programs. Bey earned a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Stockton University and a Master's in Public Administration from Rutgers University–Newark.

• Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins — Former City Council Member in Newark, New Jersey

  Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins is a former councilwoman for the Central Ward of Newark. She served as an at-large member of the Municipal Council from 1995 to 2006 and represented the Central Ward from 2014 to 2018. Born and raised in Newark, she attended Queen of Angels Grammar School, Sister Clara Muhammad High School, and Bloomfield College, where she majored in Business Administration. She also enrolled in the Intensive Chef Program at the New York Restaurant School. Chaneyfield Jenkins ran for Mayor of Newark in 2018, losing to incumbent Ras Baraka. She also ran unsuccessfully in the special election for the Central Ward seat on November 4, 2025.