Newark official wins special election to fill late New Jersey Rep. Payne’s seat

Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver (D) has won the special election to fill a vacant House seat representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.

McIver defeated Republican Carmen Bucco, a businessman, to serve the remainder of the term for the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D), who died following a heart attack related to complications from diabetes in April. Her victory is not a surprise in the solidly blue district, the most liberal-leaning in New Jersey.

McIver and Bucco are also their parties’ nominees for a full term and will face off again on the ballot in November.

Payne posthumously won the nomination for the next term since the ballot deadline had already passed when he died and he was the only one running. The Democratic county committee members who make up the district selected McIver to fill in as the nominee in July, after she prevailed in the June special primary in a crowded field to replace Payne.

McIver’s win will make her the second Black woman to represent New Jersey in the House, joining Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), who was first elected in 2014.

This year has seen significant turnover within New Jersey’s congressional delegation as a result of deaths and resignations. Along with Payne, the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) died at age 87 in August after being hospitalized for weeks, bringing an end to a nearly three-decade career in the House.

Democratic county officials selected state Sen. Nellie Pou (D) to fill in as the Democratic nominee to compete in November for the next term, but the seat will remain vacant for the remainder of the current term given the closeness of Election Day.

The state also has a new senator with embattled former Sen. Bob Menendez (D) resigning from his seat last month following his conviction on charges of bribery and acting as a foreign agent. George Helmy, a former chief of staff to Gov. Phil Murphy (D), was appointed this month to serve as senator in Menendez’s place.

But Helmy is expected to step down from his position following the November election. Menendez’s seat was up for election, and Murphy is expected to appoint the winner of the race, either Rep. Andy Kim (D) or businessman Curtis Bashaw, as senator to start their time in office early.