As expected, Newark Councilwoman LaMonica McIver has resoundingly prevailed in the special election for New Jersey’s 10th congressional district, keeping the seat last held by the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) safely in the Democratic column.
McIver defeated Republican businessman Carmen Bucco and two independent candidates, Russell Jenkins and Rayfield Morton, in the solidly Democratic, majority-Black district. As of 11:32 p.m., McIver has 81% of the vote to Bucco’s 16%; McIver is at 86% in Essex County, 83% in Hudson, and 71% in Union.
McIver’s win caps a rapid rise in Newark politics for the congresswoman-elect. She was elected to the Newark Municipal Council’s Central Ward in 2018, and became its council president in 2022; she stepped down from the council presidency yesterday in advance of her election to Congress. At 38 years old, she’ll be the youngest member of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, as well as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress from the state.
“Now, I have the opportunity to continue the fight in Washington on behalf of the entire 10th congressional district,” McIver said at her victory party. “And I will fight, because the purpose of politics and the purpose of our vote is to give the people of our communities and our nation a bold voice in shaping our future for the betterment of all Americans.”
It’s unclear, for now, when McIver will be sworn into the House, which is scheduled to remain in session through the end of next week before departing for its October recess (though those schedules are often fungible). Regardless, though, McIver is set to take office before any new member elected in November does, giving her a valuable boost in seniority within her freshman House class.
Today’s special election was for the remainder of Payne’s current term, which will only last a few more months; McIver and Bucco will face off again in November for the full two-year term beginning January 2025. Given McIver’s dominant win in the special, that shouldn’t present any problem for her.
Payne had represented the 10th district, which is based in Newark and encompasses much of North Jersey’s Black community, since his father, Rep. Donald Payne Sr. (D-Newark), died in 2012. The younger Payne spent 12 years as an unassuming but diligent and progressive congressman before he, too, died in office, succumbing to a heart attack on April 24.
Shortly after Payne’s death, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered a special election to fill his seat, with a primary on July 16 and a general on September 18 – the first standalone House special election in New Jersey since 1950.
The special Democratic primary quickly attracted a wide range of interested candidates, including local elected officials like Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-Jersey City), and former East Orange Councilwoman Brittany Claybrooks; state economic development official Darryl Godfrey and former Payne staffer Shana Melius were also among the eleven contenders to throw their hats in the ring.
But it was McIver who was the clear frontrunner from the very beginning thanks to her backing from the Essex County Democratic organization, the most powerful institution in the district. Shortly after Payne died, top Essex Democrats like party chairman LeRoy Jones and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka began considering potential successors among the wide array of ambitious Democrats in the district – and McIver was their unanimous pick.
With their support, McIver was able to earn key endorsements from Governor Murphy and Senator Cory Booker, himself a 10th district resident, and from Payne’s family. She also used party connections to build up a major financial edge, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars while other candidates struggled to catch on among donors.
It wasn’t a surprise, then, when the July primary arrived and McIver blew past her opponents, winning 47% of the vote to Armstead’s 14% and Walker’s 10%. Two days later at a party convention, McIver was chosen by local Democratic county committeemembers in the 10th district to replace Payne on the November ballot.
The special general election that followed was a much more muted affair. Bucco, who has run many prior campaigns for state and local office, never stood a chance in a district that has been represented by Democrats since 1949 and that re-elected Payne 78%-20% in 2022.
Once she’s sworn in, McIver will join a New Jersey congressional delegation that’s gone through a huge number of changes this year, from the deaths of Reps. Payne and Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) to the bribery conviction of (now-former) Senator Bob Menendez. The full delegation that takes office in January is set to be the state’s most diverse ever – though whether Democrats or Republicans will be in the majority in both chambers is still up in the air.
This story was updated at 11:55 p.m. with a correction: McIver stepped down from the council presidency yesterday, but remains a councilwoman.