Newark Mayor Ras Baraka laid out his "vision for New Jersey" on Tuesday at Rowan University, one day after officially announcing his run for governor.

The Democratic mayor confirmed his words and marked his stamp of approval as he joined the gubernatorial race.

"I was born for these storms, and I was born for this time and so as this race goes on, New Jersey is never going to be the same,” Baraka said. “You mark my words; the state will never be the same because Ras Baraka has announced that he’s running for governor!"

Baraka spoke Tuesday in front of college students and local members of the South Jersey community about his vision for the state.

"I am excited about having the opportunity to talk about things on a larger scale, and to raise issues that I don’t think would be raised if I wasn’t in the campaign," Baraka said.

The mayor touched on topics like affordable housing, transportation and other political ambitions. Ultimately, he’s vying to be New Jersey’s first Black governor.

"We want to make sure that we left our mark on New Jersey politics, and that people understand the real issues that people are dealing with every single day,” he said.

Baraka is now the third declared candidate for the Democratic nomination, joining Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.

The state's next gubernatorial election is in November 2025.