Bill Pascrell died yesterday, age 87. He’s held the Paterson, New Jersey congressional seat, since winning the 1996 election. That’s a long time. His lifetime ProgressivePunch crucial vote score is 82.42 and they rate him “D” in a deep blue district with a D+17 partisan lean. Most of the district is in Bergen and Passaic counties, with just a very small piece of Hudson County. It’s a minority majority district and Hispanics are now a slight plurality. Just 38.3% of the residents are white.
In 2020, Biden beat Trump 62-36%, the same year Booker took 64%. Two years later Murphy won the gubernatorial race with 58% and Pascrell was reelected 55% to 44%. His Republican opponent, Bill Prempeh also ran in 2020 when he only won 32%. Prempeh is the GOP candidate again this year. So… the question is, who will replace Pascrell on the ballot?
The county bosses have a week to name a replacement (August 29). They’ll call a district convention of 806 county committee members, probably to be a coronation of whomever the bosses have decided will be the next Member of Congress. The Globe reported that “At the top of the early shortlist for the Democratic nomination are three longtime Passaic County politicians: Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) and Paterson Mayor André Sayegh… Also high on the list is Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Silna Zur (D-Franklin Lakes), who lives in the northern reaches of Bergen County. Three other state legislators— Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park), Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon)— might look at campaigns as well. Pou is the highest-ranking Hispanic elected official in the district, which is plurality-Hispanic.”
Even more interesting than the question of who will replace Pascrell on the November ballot is who will replace him as a member of the Ways and Means Committee. A plum assignment like that will not go to a freshman member. Pascrell was also ranking Dem (and former chair) of the Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight. Who will move up to that post?
Interesting. We will see.