N.J. congressman Donald Payne Jr. dies

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a longtime Newark leader and a member of a New Jersey political dynasty who spent the last 12 years serving in Congress as the successor to his late father, died Wednesday after being hospitalized for several weeks in the wake of a heart attack.

Payne, a Democrat who was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, was 65 and still in office.

The congressman battled health problems in recent years and had been in the hospital since April 6 following a “cardiac episode,” his office said.

Payne that day “experienced a physical accident at home” that required hospitalization and during treatment “faced medical complications” because of his diabetes and high blood pressure that “led to subsequent cardiorespiratory arrest,” his office said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“Despite the dedicated efforts of the medical staff to treat him and improve his health, they were unable to prevent his passing, unfortunately,” his office said.

A relatively low-profile but gregarious and progressive politician who fought for social justice, transportation funding, and health care, Payne was in his sixth term representing New Jersey’s 10th congressional district — which includes Newark, the state’s largest city, and surrounding areas — in the House of Representatives. It’s the only one of the state’s 12 congressional districts in which the majority of residents are Black.

Payne, then Newark’s council president, was elected to the seat after his father, Donald Payne Sr., the first Black person from New Jersey to serve in Congress, died after 23 years in office.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday called Payne Jr. a “steadfast champion for the people of New Jersey.”

“With his signature bowtie, big heart, and tenacious spirit, Donald embodied the very best of public service,” Murphy, a fellow Democrat, said in a statement. “As a former union worker and toll collector, he deeply understood the struggles our working families face, and he fought valiantly to serve their needs, every single day.”

“Donald’s love will live on in the homes of his neighbors in Newark, who now have access to safe drinking water, and in the good-paying jobs he helped create for his brothers and sisters in labor.”

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U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, the New Jersey Democrat who became Newark’s mayor the same year Payne joined the city’s council, said: “Like his father before him, Donald was a trailblazing figure in our civic institutions, dedicating his career to the soul-feeding work of serving others.”

“Over the almost three decades I knew Donald, he was a dear friend and a powerful colleague in Newark and in Washington,” Booker said. “He was never about adulation or applause; the cause of his life was fighting for dignity, security, and opportunity for all people.”

Payne’s death comes as his seat is on the ballot this November. He was running unopposed in the June Democratic primary in a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Because the deadline for a new candidate has passed, his name will remain on the primary ballot. It will be up to Democratic committee members in his district to choose a replacement candidate for November’s general election.

It’s up to the governor to call a special a special election for a replacement to serve the rest of Payne’s current term. Under law, he could schedule a special primary election for July, with a general election in September, or he could set a special election during November’s regularly scheduled general election.

Payne grew up with two sisters in Newark, where his father was a teacher before launching a career in politics that included stints as an Essex County freeholder and Newark councilman. His mother, Hazel Payne, died when he was 5.

As a teen, Payne Jr., a Hillside High School graduate, founded the Newark South Ward Junior Democrats and studied graphic arts at Kean University in nearby Union. He later worked for the New Jersey Highway Authority as a toll collector on the Garden State Parkway and then the Essex County Educational Services Commission, where he was supervisor of student transportation.

Politics is a family business, with the Payne name being one of the most storied in Newark. In addition to his father, Payne’s uncle is former state Assemblyman William Payne and his cousin is former Assemblyman Craig Stanley.

Payne Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps when he was elected as an Essex County freeholder in 2005. Months later, he was elected, also like his father was once, to the Newark council. Payne Jr. became council president in 2010.

Payne Jr. served in both roles until 2012, when his father died of colon cancer at age 77. He won several elections that year to fill Payne Sr.’s seat in Congress: a special race for the remainder of his term and both a Democratic primary and general election for a full two-year term.

The primary was a bitter, six-way fight for the Democratic nomination in the heavily Democratic and Black-majority district — a race that also included Newark Councilman Ronald C. Rice and state Sen. Nia Gill. Payne faced criticism from opponents for not having the political and policy might of his father.

But bolstered by his name, fundraising advantage, and support from the powerful Essex County Democratic machine, Payne won the nod and went on to cruise in the general election.

“This is a defining moment,” Payne, then 53, said after winning that primary. “Never did I think that I would stand here at such an early age. I’ve said that I’m following a legacy, and I’m not backing away from that.”

A Payne has represented the 10th District for 35 years. In addition to Newark, it represents other parts of Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, including the Oranges and sections of Jersey City, Montclair, and Linden.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said Wednesday that Payne “carried his devotion” to the city’s residents throughout his life.

“Through his career, Representative Payne gained expertise in transportation, bridges, and tunnels, but his personal traits also fostered connections,” Baraka said. “He had a talent for engaging a wide spectrum of collaborators for projects he promoted, and strived to increase inclusive opportunities and diversity by inviting women- and minority-owned businesses.”

In the House, Payne sponsored bills focused on removing lead from drinking water, preventing violence against women, tightening gun laws, securing equal pay, strengthening flood insurance for Hurricane Sandy victims, and making sure U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees can communicate during emergencies, among others.

In 2021, Payne became chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials and was critical in securing funding for the Gateway Project, a massive infrastructure plan to replace train tunnels and bridges between New Jersey and Manhattan.

Payne also rose awareness for colon cancer after it claimed his father and sponsored a law to improve health coverage for the illness. In addition, Payne pushed to lower the price of insulin for his fellow diabetics and founded the Congressional Men’s Health Caucus.

Payne’s colleagues in New Jersey’s congressional delegation honored him Wednesday.

“Like his father, Donald gave his entire life to the people of Newark,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-9th Dist., said. “I cannot think of any member at any time who embodied the compassion, kindness, honesty, big heart, and humble demeanor central to public service more than Donald. … He brought peace and comfort to the Congress in everything he did.”

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist., said she bonded with Payne “over discussions of our trailblazing fathers.” Her dad is former Assemblyman John Watson.

“I loved him like a brother,” Watson Coleman said of Payne, whom she also called a “dapper dresser” often adorned with “matching glasses.”

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th Dist., said “New Jersey has lost a truly great public servant far too soon.” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., called Payne a “tireless champion for real people.” Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., said he “strove to make New Jersey a better place for everyone.” Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist., called his death “a terrible loss for our state and our country.” Rep. Rob Menendez, D-8th Dist., noted his death “leaves a profound void in our delegation.”

LeRoy Jones, chairman of the state Democratic Party, called Payne “a towering figure in both our party and our community.”

Newark Councilman Patrick Council said Payne will be remembered for his “progressive attitude and passion for equality, social justice, and a better quality of life for all.”

Ryan Haygood, president of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, said Payne served New Jersey’s only majority-Black congressional district “with a heart full of love for its people and their needs.”

Payne’s death shrinks Democrats’ minority in the house. They now have 212 members, compared to Republicans’ 217.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Payne had a “long and valiant career in public service and that his “own courageous battle” with Type 1 Diabetes informed “much of his life’s work to make our communities safer and healthier.”

“Don leaves behind a legacy of relentless determination in the face of adversity,” Jeffries said.

Payne is survived by his wife Beatrice and their triplets, Donald III, Jack, and Yvonne.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Ted Sherman contributed to this report.