Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), whose first full term in Congress has been more eventful than anyone could have expected, is officially running for a second.
McIver announced her re-election campaign today in the 10th congressional district, the seat she first won in a 2024 special election to succeed the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark). A former Newark councilwoman, McIver gained sudden national attention last May, when she was indicted for allegedly assaulting an officer during an oversight visit at an immigrant detention center.
The congresswoman has pleaded not guilty and called the indictment politically motivated, and they’ve done little to dampen her political fortunes; she says in her launch video that the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 17 years, have made her “battle-tested.”
“I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve been organizing and working for our communities and our neighborhoods since I was ten years old,” McIver said. “These times are hard, and it’s been an uphill battle against an administration that wants us scared and silent. But I love the 10th. Our neighborhoods, our people – I do this for us, to make sure our voices are heard.”
The video features prominent local politicians from all corners of the district, among them Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (her longtime political mentor), Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), longtime progressive activist Larry Hamm, and Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, the runner-up in the 2024 special primary won by McIver.
With less than a month to go until the filing deadline, no notable Democrats have launched – or even floated – primary campaigns against the congresswoman. The 10th district is one of the bluest seats in the nation, and McIver faces no risk of losing a general election; one Republican, Carmen Bucco, is running for the district again after losing in 2024.
