Dead Congressman Wins Democratic Primary
The late Democratic congressman Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey won his party’s nomination for another term in office on Tuesday, six weeks after he died in office at the age of 65.
Payne, who originally replaced his late father representing the Garden State’s 10th Congressional District, had filed for another term before he died of a heart attack on April 24, The Hill reported.
He was running unopposed, meaning voters had no other choice when they cast their ballots Tuesday.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has already announced a special primary for July 16 and special general election for Sept. 18 to fill the remainder of Payne’s term, which ends in January.
According to The Hill, Democratic Party chairs in Essex, Hudson and Union counties must call a convention by the end of August to decide who will replace Payne on the ballot for November.
Voters in those counties, which make up New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, will remain without representation in the House until at least September.
County chairs could hold out to see who wins the special primary election and ultimately place that person on the ballot for November, but they are not required to do so, The Hill reported.
Donald Payne Sr. represented the district in the House from 1989 until his death from colon cancer in March 2012.
Payne Jr. won a special election months later and represented the district until his death.
According to CBS News, Payne Jr. was hospitalized on April 6 after he experienced a “physical accident.”
His office said in a statement that during his hospital stay, he experienced “medical complications due to diabetes and high blood pressure that led to subsequent cardiorespiratory arrest.”
“Despite the dedicated efforts of the medical staff to treat him and improve his health, they were unable to prevent his passing unfortunately,” the statement said, according to CBS.
At the time of his death, the progressive, six-term congressman was remembered by President Joe Biden and Murphy for his commitments to environmentalism and gun control.
“Don and I worked together throughout his time in Congress, as he fought to expand access to health care, clean drinking water, and cancer screenings; to prevent gun violence, protect voting rights, and promote equal pay for women,” Biden said in a statement.
”He lived his whole life on the same street, committed to the city that so many in his family served.”
Payne was born and raised in Newark.
Murphy said the late congressman “embodied the very best of public service.”
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