New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, a pioneer for black women in politics, has died at the age of 71.
Ms. Oliver’s death was announced on Aug. 1 by her family through the office of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
No cause of death has been given. Ms. Oliver was hospitalized on July 31.
Until she was hospitalized, and while Governor Murphy was on vacation with his family in Italy, Ms. Oliver had been serving as acting governor. New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari, in accordance with the state constitution, became acting governor when Ms. Oliver was unable to perform the governor’s duties.
Ms. Oliver, a Democrat, was the first black woman elected speaker of the state’s General Assembly.
Ms. Oliver was also the first black woman to hold statewide office in New Jersey, winning the vote on the ticket she shared with Mr. Murphy in 2017 and 2021. She was only the state’s second lieutenant governor of New Jersey, as the office was not created until the administration of the previous governor, Chris Christie, who is running for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.
“Tammy and I, and our children, are incredibly saddened and distraught to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver,” said Gov. Murphy in a statement released on Aug. 1.
“When I selected her to be my running mate in 2017, Lieutenant Governor Oliver was already a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She had already made history as the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly, and just the second Black woman in the nation’s history to lead a house of a state legislature.
“I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.”
The Oliver family issued a statement through the governor’s office.
“It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey,’ said the statement.
“She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero.”
In a statement his office released, New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator Bob Mendez said: “To say that I am devastated by today’s news is an understatement.
“Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver was a relentless voice for the voiceless, a passionate advocate for the disadvantaged, and a champion for the most important issues facing the Garden State.”
Cory Booker, the Garden State’s junior U.S. senator, tweeted: “This a tremendous loss for New Jersey, for her family, and for all of us who loved and worked with her. Sheila Oliver was a trailblazer whose legacy of service will long be remembered.”
Effective Legislative Leader
In contrast to her predecessor, who rarely appeared alongside Gov. Christie, Ms. Oliver regularly stood at Gov. Murphy’s side and signed several bills into law while serving as acting governor.She was a compelling public speaker and frequent attendee at Mr. Murphy’s bill signings and other events, where he typically introduced her as his “rocking” lieutenant governor.
Ms. Oliver was born on July 14, 1952, in Newark. She graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark in 1970. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in planning and administration from Columbia University.
Ms. Oliver was a champion for gun control and the development of inner cities and underserved communities.
She was executive director of The Leaguers, a non-profit organization based in northern New Jersey. She also taught at Caldwell University and Essex County College.
From 1994 through 2000, she served on the Board of Education for the East Orange School District and the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from District Three for one term (1996-1999).
Ms. Oliver ran for the mayor of East Orange in 1997, losing a close election in the Democratic primary.
First elected to the General Assembly in 2003, she would be reelected six times to the two-year terms in that legislative body.
On Nov. 23, 2009, Democrats voted unanimously for Ms. Oliver to become the 169th speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
