LaMonica McIver, the former Newark City Council president, won a special election Wednesday in New Jersey’s 10th District to fill the unexpired term of the late Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr.
McIver had 85 percent of vote to Republican Carmen Bucco’s 12 percent in the heavily Democratic district when The Associated Press called the race at 8:08 p.m. Two independent candidates were also running.
The election fills one of three House seats vacant due to a Democratic member’s death, and will bring the partisan balance in the chamber to 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats when McIver is sworn in.
Like McIver, Payne also served as Newark’s City Council president prior to being elected to Congress.
Her election marks the first time in 35 years that the district anchored by her hometown has been represented in the House by someone not named Donald Payne. The late congressman, who was in his sixth full term, died in office in April at the age of 65. He had succeeded his father, Donald M. Payne Sr., who held the seat from 1989 until he died in office in 2012.
“It is definitely a legacy-changing situation with this seat, for someone that’s not a Payne to be going into this role,” McIver said. “There are big shoes to fill.”
McIver was driven to run for Congress over affordable housing and cost of living issues, which she saw as a local elected official but says have not been adequately addressed at the federal level.
“Many people don’t serve at the local level,” she said. “They don’t understand what’s happening [and are] very unaware and unattached to what’s happening. What does a pack of diapers cost? What does formula cost? How much does child care cost?”
McIver defeated 10 candidates in a July 2024 primary to advance to Wednesday’s special election. Along the way, she secured the support of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, and Payne’s uncle, former state Assemblyman William Payne.
Democratic Party leaders also chose McIver to replace Payne on the November ballot for a full term that will begin in January. He had won the June primary posthumously. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the November race in the 10th District as Solid Democratic.
McIver, 38, was born and raised in Newark. Her interest in politics was first sparked in fifth grade when her language arts teacher, who was running for City Council, invited students to visit his campaign office.
She was most recently a public affairs manager with the power utility PSEG. McIver, who was first elected to the Newark City Council in 2018 at the age of 31, has billed her youth and experience as a parent to her daughter as an asset to her political career.
“I’m just looking forward to bringing my perspective from my age group as a mom, as a young person, to the delegation,” she said.
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