Rep. LaMonica McIver (D) was sworn into the Home on Monday night after profitable the particular election earlier this month.
McIver, 38, now represents New Jersey’s tenth Congressional District after defeating Republican Carmen Bucco. She’s going to serve the rest of the time period for the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who died in April.
McIver and the New Jersey delegation arrived on the Home flooring for her swearing-in ceremony. The Home stood and applauded after she took her oath of workplace. Talking earlier than the Home, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) welcomed McIver and acknowledged Payne’s legacy.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) mentioned McIver represents “a series of firsts” because the youngest particular person elected to Newark Metropolis Council, then the youngest particular person elected because the council’s president and now because the youngest particular person elected to Congress on behalf of New Jersey.
In her first remarks on the Home flooring, McIver mentioned she walks within the footsteps of those that got here earlier than her.
“My predecessor, Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr., embodied the vibrant spirit of our city and the people he faithfully served. He was an example to many of us. As I stand before you tonight, I pay tribute to him and both deeply feel, and will always miss, his presence and his leadership,” she mentioned.
McIver continued, saying she hopes to “blaze new trails together on the march toward fully realizing the promise of our great American nation.”
Like McIver, Payne was the president of the Newark Metropolis Council.
Payne died following a coronary heart assault associated to problems from diabetes. He posthumously gained the nomination for the following time period as a result of the poll deadline had already handed.
Democratic county committee members selected McIver to fill in because the nominee after she gained within the June particular main in opposition to almost a dozen different candidates.
McIver and Bucco are their respective events’ nominees for a full Home time period and can go head-to-head once more on the poll in November.
McIver’s particular election victory and her possibilities within the common election are usually not stunning on this very solidly blue district.
Her win will make her the second Black girl to characterize New Jersey within the Home, becoming a member of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D).
She’s not the one new New Jerseyan to be sworn in. Earlier this month, Sen. George Helmy (D) was sworn in to fill the rest of former Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D) time period after he resigned over a conviction on costs together with bribery.
