Rep. Payne Succumbs to ‘Cardiac Episode’

NEWARK, N.J. — Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J., the former city council president who succeeded his father in the House and represented his district for more than a decade, died Wednesday morning.

Payne’s death was confirmed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy who said in a statement, “Tammy and I are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our friend and a steadfast champion for the people of New Jersey, Congressman Donald Payne Jr.

“With his signature bowtie, big heart and tenacious spirit, Donald embodied the very best of public service,” the governor quickly added.

Payne, a Democrat, represented New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District since he won a 2012 special election to succeed his late father, who had been New Jersey’s first Black member of Congress.

The 65-year-old suffered what his office initially called a “cardiac episode” related to complications from diabetes earlier this month, and he remained hospitalized until his death.

Immediately after Payne’s hospitalization, his office issued a statement saying his “prognosis is good and he is expected to make a full recovery.”

Last week, however, after the independent New Jersey Globe newspaper reported Payne had not regained consciousness, his office issued a second statement saying the congressman was in stable condition, but asked “everyone to keep him in your prayers.”

On Wednesday afternoon, the front page of the Globe’s website was filled with tributes to the longtime lawmaker.

Payne’s mother died when he was 4 years old, and he quickly became a regulator presence at his father’s political events. Before he was even out of high school, he helped found the Newark South Ward Junior Democrats political organization.

After a brief stint at Kean College, he went to work for a computer company founded by his uncle William, who later was a New Jersey state assemblyman, and then held a series of modest jobs before being elected to the Essex County Board of Freeholders in 2005.

Six months later, he was also elected to the Newark City Council, becoming its president in 2010.

Following his father’s death from colon cancer in 2012, Payne announced he would run for his seat in a district that encompasses parts of Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

He easily won both a special election to complete the final week’s of his father’s term and the general election that followed soon after, and he handily won every one of his reelection bids.

Murphy said because of his modest beginnings, Payne understood the struggles working families face.

“He fought valiantly to serve their needs, every single day,” Murphy said. “That purpose was the light that guided him through his early years as Newark City Council president and during his tenure on the Essex County Board of Commissioners. And it guided him still through his more than a decade of service in Congress.

“It was my great honor to work side by side with Donald to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey, and we will hold his memory close to our hearts as we build upon the Payne family’s deep legacy of service in advocating for the communities they served so dearly,” the governor continued.

“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,” Murphy said.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said Wednesday that it was a privilege to serve with Payne in Congress and that he was deeply saddened by his loss.

“Don was just a great guy, and everyone loved him,” he said. “When I was first elected, Donald was there for me, showing me the ropes and sharing his wisdom — not to mention a good Jersey ribbing. Don had a great sense of humor to go with his meaningful experience. For the nearly 14 years he served as a member of Congress, he was a tireless champion for real people. As chair of the Congressional Colorectal Cancer Caucus and the Men’s Health Caucus, he regularly championed health care issues. He led the way on transportation, rail and infrastructure as a subcommittee chairman of [the] T&I Committee. 

“I’ll be praying for his family, especially his three wonderful children he always beamed about. I hope they find peace in knowing his work left a huge, positive impact on millions of people — not just in New Jersey, but also across our nation and around the world,” Gottheimer added.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., also paid tribute to her colleague, calling him, “a steadfast champion for the people of New Jersey and a shining example of the compassionate, people-first leadership our nation deserves.”

“Following in his father’s trailblazing footsteps, Congressman Payne Jr. devoted himself to public service — working at the city, county and national levels to make life better for New Jersey families,” Clark said. “Throughout his distinguished service in the House, he waged a passionate fight to bring down the cost of health care, widen the path to prosperity, rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, and honor every child’s right to clean drinking water.

“Donald was a deeply valued friend and colleague. His warmth, his talent for building consensus, and his unrivaled fashion sense will be dearly missed by the entire House Democratic Caucus. It was an honor to work alongside him,” she said.

Payne’s death reduces the number of members of the House to 430 — 218 Republicans and 212 Democrats.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue