Sharpe James

Sharpe James
James in 1988
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 29th district
In office June 21, 1999 – January 8, 2008
Preceded by	Wynona Lipman
Succeeded by	Teresa Ruiz
37th Mayor of Newark
In office July 1, 1986 – June 30, 2006
Preceded by	Kenneth A. Gibson
Succeeded by	Cory Booker
Personal details
Born	(1936-02-20) February 20, 1936 (age 88) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

Sharpe James (born February 20, 1936) is an American former politician from New Jersey. A Democrat, he served as the 37th mayor of Newark from 1986 to 2006 and as a state senator for the 29th legislative district from 1999 to 2008. He is the longest-serving mayor in Newark's history and is a subject of the 2005 feature-film Street Fight depicting the 2002 mayoral election where James faced a closer-than-expected challenge from Cory Booker. Once a popular figure in New Jersey politics, his career effectively ended after he was convicted of high-profile corruption charges in 2008.^[1][2]