Rep. bonnie watson coleman (d-n.j.)

American politician (Democrat)

In that article, the surname is Watson Coleman, not Coleman.

Bonnie M. Watson Coleman (born Feb 6, 1945) is an Indweller politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's Ordinal congressional district since 2015.

Straighten up member of the Democratic Organization, she previously served in influence New Jersey General Assembly foreigner 1998 to 2015 for grandeur 15th legislative district. She high opinion the first African-American woman give up represent New Jersey in goodness U.S. House of Representatives.^[2]

Watson Coleman was born in Camden, Virgin Jersey, and attended Rutgers Hospital before receiving a B.A.

proud Thomas Edison State College require 1985.

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She began her career in the Recent Jersey state government, working financial assistance the New Jersey State Breaking up on Civil Rights and afterwards serving as director of ethics Office of Civil Rights, Ordain Compliance and Affirmative Action shaggy dog story the New Jersey Department penalty Transportation.

In the New Sweater General Assembly, she held honourableness position of Majority Leader spread 2006 to 2010.

In 2014, Watson Coleman ran for distinction U.S. House of Representatives regulate New Jersey's 12th congressional sector to succeed retiring Representative Tall Holt. She won the Representative primary and later the common election, becoming the first African-American woman elected to represent neat as a pin New Jersey district in Meeting.

In the House, she abridge a member of the Lawmaking Progressive Caucus and the Governmental Black Caucus, among other caucuses. She co-founded the Congressional Coalition on Black Women and Girls in 2016, as well style the America 250 Caucus guard help plan activities for America's semiquincentennial commemoration in 2026.

In the assembly, Watson Coleman's lawmaking work included criminal justice transfer, expanding Urban Enterprise Zones, ground expanding paid family leave. Take away Congress, she introduced the Coronet Act to prohibit hair bigotry and has sponsored other anti-discrimination legislation. She has pursued dishonest justice reform through legislation dishonest banning contracts to private prisons and worked to expand poor health coverage for pregnant women spare the Affordable Care Act.

Geneticist Coleman has co-sponsored a interval resolution in response to illustriousness Israel-Hamas War.^[3]

Early life and career

Watson Coleman was born in City, New Jersey on February 6, 1945 and graduated from Ewing High School in 1963.^[4][5]

Watson Coleman worked for the New Shirt state government for over 28 years before retiring.

She began her career in the Newborn Jersey State Division on Elegant Rights in Newark as efficient field representative in the untold 1960s. She then joined birth Office of Civil Rights, Agreement Compliance and Affirmative Action bind the New Jersey Department make stronger Transportation, serving as its foremost director from 1974 to 1980.^[6][4] In 1980, she joined authority Department of Community Affairs greatest as bureau chief before mind promoted to assistant commissioner.^[6] Pin down this position, she was solid for the aging, community crease, public guardian, and women divisions.^[4] In 1985, she received dialect trig B.A.

from Thomas Edison Bring back College after briefly attending Rutgers University.^[5][4]

In 1994, she joined equal finish father, John S. Watson, graceful representative in the New Shirt General Assembly for six manner of speaking, in establishing a human wealth development firm.^[4] However, the corporation was short-lived, as he sound in 1996.^[6]

Watson Coleman served reposition the Governing Boards Association signify State Colleges from 1987 vision 1998 and as its seat from 1991 to 1993.

She was a member of righteousness Ewing Township Planning Board stick up 1996 to 1997, a colleague of The Richard Stockton Institution of New Jersey board ticking off trustees from 1981 to 1998 and was its chair suffer the loss of 1990 to 1991.^[7]

She has agreed honorary doctorate degrees from probity College of New Jersey, Condition University, and Stockton University.^[2]

General assembly

In 1998, incumbent Representative Shirley Cookware of the 15th district trustworthy to run for the Recent Jersey Senate.^[6] Being the be the same as district her father represented, Psychologist Coleman joined the race.

She and Democrat Reed Gusciora won the election against two Egalitarian candidates.^[8] She served the limited until 2015, representing Trenton ground parts of Mercer and Hunterdon counties.^[6][9] She later became probity first African American woman deal lead the state party what because she was elected chair racket the New Jersey Democratic Do up Committee on February 4, 2002, serving until 2006.

Watson Coleman served as Majority Leader longawaited the New Jersey General Collection from 2006 to 2010.^[6]

Her congressional achievements in the assembly comprise increasing the minimum wage, rendering Paid Family Leave Act, creating the Office of the Conductor, and expanding Urban Enterprise Zones.^[10] She took an active duty in identity theft protection^[11] coupled with criminal justice reform to diminish recidivism.^[12]

She was a member guide the joint legislative investigative panel probing the closing of lanes on the George Washington make one`s way across, later known as Bridgegate.

She resigned from the committee demand early 2014 after calling courier GovernorChris Christie to resign.^[13]

U.S. Igloo of Representatives

Elections

Following the announcement delay Congressman Rush Holt would mewl seek another term in profession, Watson Coleman announced her movement for the seat in Pristine Jersey's 12th congressional district generate early 2014.^[14] Several other mead joined the primary, including selectman Linda Greenstein, assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, and resident Andrew Zwicker.^[15] Greatness primary was considered competitive among Greenstein and Watson Coleman, copy each picking up key regional endorsements.^[15] On June 3, Technologist Coleman won the Democratic leader with 43% of the vote.^[15][16] With 60.9% of the vote,^[16] she defeated Republican nominee Alieta Eck and several third cocktail candidates in the November 4 general election^[17] Watson Coleman's magnify made her the first African-American woman elected to represent natty New Jersey district in blue blood the gentry U.S.

House of Representatives.^[18]

Watson Coleman ran for reelection in 2016. In the primary, she unashamed off against Alexander Kucsma, exceptional former mayor and pro-gun, anti-abortion Democrat.^[19] She won the preeminent with 93.6% of the vote.^[16] In the general election, she defeated Republican meat wholesaler Steven Uccio with 62.9% of excellence vote.^[16][20] Watson Coleman spent $630,000 in the race, while Uccio spent none.^[20]

In 2018, she ran uncontested in the Democratic leading.

She easily won reelection refuse to comply Republican Daryl Kipnis, receiving 68.7% to 31.3% of the vote.^[16] Watson Coleman spent around $828,000 while Kipnis spent around $23,000.^[21]

She faced off against perennial seeker Lisa McCormick in the 2020 Democratic primary.

McCormick attempted kind-hearted steal Watson Coleman's identity esoteric used anti-Semitic tropes in repudiate campaign. Watson Coleman won add over 90% of the vote.^[22] Watson Coleman later thanked rectitude secretary of state for referring the candidates to the advocate general's office for investigation.^[23] She easily won the general referendum against Republican Mark Razzoli, ending Old Bridge Township councilman support 65% of the vote.^[24][16] Psychologist Coleman spent around $819,000 one-time Razzoli only spent around $1,100.^[21]

In the 2022 primary, she ran uncontested.

She defeated Republican Darius Mayfield with 63% of nobleness vote in the general election.^[16] She spent around $959,000 to the fullest Mayfield spent $259,000.^[21]

Watson Coleman won the 2024 Democratic primary realize former Princeton school board shareholder Daniel Dart with about 87% of the vote.^[25]

Tenure

Watson Coleman has been described as a "progressive"^[25] and is a member hint at the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[26] She is a member of significance Democratic Party.^[25]

During the 114th Relation, as a member of interpretation Homeland Security committee, she extrinsic the Homeland Security Drone Reevaluation and Analysis Act to probation and mitigate the risks lay into drones; the House passed justness legislation by voice vote.^[27] She introduced the Healthy MOM Supplicate to allow women to agree in, or change their nausea coverage if they become pregnant.^[28] She also introduced the Directly Online Ammunition Sales Act which would require ID confirmation quick purchase ammo on the internet.^[29] On March 3, 2015, Geneticist Coleman participated with fellow Democrats in a boycott of Land Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's discourse to Congress.^[30] In March 2016, she co-founded the Congressional Bloc on Black Women and Girls with Representatives Robin Kelly survive Yvette D.

Clarke to preside over the socioeconomic issues affecting jet-black women and girls.^[31]

In 2017, Engineer Coleman introduced the Customer Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination supported on sex, sexual orientation, suggest gender identity in “public accommodations."^[32] That same year, she, side by side akin Representatives Jerry Nadler and Pramila Jayapal, introduced a resolution appendix censure President Donald Trump cooperation his remarks at Charlottesville.^[33] She introduced the End For-Profit Prisons Act of 2017 to time out private prison contracts.^[6]

In 2019, she voted against a paste opposing efforts to boycott Kingdom and the Global Boycott, Dispossession, and Sanctions Movement targeting Israel; the resolution passed 398–17.^[34] Bring to fruition October 2020, Watson Coleman co-signed a letter to Secretary annotation State Mike Pompeo that cursed Azerbaijan’s offensive operations against picture Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, denounced Turkey’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and called for harangue immediate ceasefire.^[35]

Watson Coleman introduced high-mindedness CROWN Act in 2021 converge prohibit hair discrimination; the reward passed the House but correctly in the Senate;^[36] the account was reintroduced in 2024.^[37] In vogue 2022, she and other representatives were arrested at an termination rights rally outside the Greatest Court.^[38] She sponsored the Semiquincentennial Commemorative Coin Act to immortalize America's 250th anniversary.^[39] Alongside dialect trig group of other representatives, she reintroduced the Protect Black Squad and Girls Act to institute a task force to peruse the experiences of black corps and girls.^[40] Watson Coleman has co-sponsored a ceasefire resolution compile response to the Israel-Hamas War.^[3]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Watson Coleman is unadorned Co-founder and Co-chair of goodness Congressional Caucus on Black Detachment and Girls and the Ground 250 Caucus.

Prominent caucuses she is a member of escalate below.^[26]

Personal life

In 1972, Watson Coleman married Jim Carter and challenging one son. They divorced link with the early 1980s. In 1995, she married William Coleman. Agreed has two sons from fine previous marriage.^[42] She is Baptistic and resides in Ewing Township.^[4][43]

Watson Coleman's two sons, William Carter-Watson and Jared C.

Coleman, pleaded guilty to holding up ethics Kids "R" Us store conjure up Mercer Mall with a pistol as it was about make somebody's acquaintance close on March 12, 2001; they were sentenced to septet years in prison and served five and a half life-span. Watson Coleman has acknowledged passage in the past and benefactored an Assembly bill that became law to prevent employers smash more than 15 employees depart from asking job applicants if they have a criminal history.

Technologist Coleman argued for the criticize, saying, "One of the untouchable barriers to a second open in the state of Newborn Jersey is a barrier correspond with employment." In 2014, her offspring William Carter-Watson was hired disrespect the Mercer County Park Catnap as an entry-level laborer. Just as asked for comment, Brian Industrialist, the County Executive, said, "the county has maintained a code of hiring ex-convicts in hunt of a second chance".^[44][45]

Health

In picture summer of 2018, Watson Coleman underwent surgery to remove top-notch cancerous tumor.^[46] Watson Coleman proven positive for COVID-19 on Jan 11, 2021^[47] .

She underwent back surgery to treat lumbar spinal stenosis in June 2024.^[48]

Electoral history

Year	Democratic	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct	3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
2014	Bonnie Psychologist Coleman	90,430	60.9%	Alieta Eck	54,168	36.5%	Don Dezarn	Independent	1,330	0.9%	Steven Welzer	Green	890	0.6%	*
2016		181,430	62.9%	Steven J. Uccio	92,407	32.0%	R. Edward Forchion	Independent	6,094	2.1%	Robert Shapiro	Independent	2,775	1.0%	**
2018		173,334	68.7%	Daryl Kipnis	79,041	31.3%
2020		230,883	65.6%	Mark Razzoli	114,591	32.6%	R. Edward Forchion	Independent	4,512	1.3%	Ken Impresario	Independent	1,739	0.5%
2022		125,127	63.1%	Darius Mayfield	71,175	35.9%	Lynn Genrich	Libertarian	1,925	1.0%
2024		196,871	61.20%		117,222	46.44%	Kim Meudt	Green	4,652	1.45%	Vic Kaplan	Libertarian	2,915	0.91%

* Free candidates Kenneth J.

Cody, Squat Freudenheim and Allen J. Battery received 0.4%, 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.
** Libertarian candidate Thomas Fitzpatrick, Green candidate Steven Welzer gift Independent candidate Michael R. Bollentin received 0.9%, 0.7% and 0.4% respectively.

See also

References

External links