New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman announced that she will retire at the end of her current term, the congresswoman announced on Nov. 10.
Watson Coleman, 80, became the first African American woman to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was first elected to the House in 2014, as a Democrat representing New Jersey’s 12th District, including the state capital Trenton, and in Princeton.
Prior to taking that seat, she served in the New Jersey General Assembly and became the Assembly Majority Leader. She was the first African American woman to be elected Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. “I made this decision with tremendous thought and reflection, and through many personal conversations with my husband Bill and my family,” Watson Coleman said in a statement. “I am confident it is the right choice for me and my family, who have graciously sacrificed by my side when I placed serving our community above all else, and I can truly say, I am at peace with my decision.” The self-described progressive has been critical of President Donald Trump and said she was proud of her record aimed at fighting poverty and helping create “an economy for all.”
She was outside an immigration detention center in Newark, along with Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver, when authorities arrested the city’s mayor on a trespassing charge. It was later dropped, but McIver was being prosecuted on assault charges, to which she has pleaded not guilty.
Watson Coleman supported McIver, calling the charges against her “purely political.” “New Jersey is losing a great public servant in Bonnie’s retirement. For a lot of us in the House of Representatives, we are losing a dear friend and role model extraordinaire,” said Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson. The sentiment was echoed by a good number of her colleagues.
“It has also been an honor to have been tutored by her and to have partnered with her in our efforts to make the many things that make this country great accessible and affordable to all. Bonnie has been a real workhorse on behalf of her constituents, and she will be sorely missed by them and by us, her colleagues and friends,” said South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn.
According to the New Jersey Globe, there are numerous people lining up to run for her office, which sits in a heavily Democratic district, making for a potentially crowded primary. This includes East Brunswick, N.J., Mayor Brad Cohen, Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson, State Sen. Andrew Zwicker of South Brunswick, and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson of Trenton. Watson Coleman now becomes the latest legislator to announce their retirement. Others include, Democrats Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, Illinois Rep. Chuy Garcia, and Republican Texas Rep. Jodey Arrington.