What to Know
- New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who made history as the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly, died Tuesday. She was 71.
- Oliver served as Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s top deputy, stepping in for him while the governor was out of state and also overseeing the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and supervises code enforcement.
- No cause of death was given, Murphy’s office said in a statement from the Oliver family.
Update: Funeral information for Oliver was revealed on Thursday. New details here.
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who was serving as acting governor while Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was out of the state, has died.
She was 71.
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On Tuesday, Aug. 1, around 12:25 p.m., her family released a statement confirming her death:
"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. She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero," the statement read. "As we come to terms with this profound loss, we kindly request that you respect the privacy of the Oliver family during this difficult time as they grieve their beloved Sheila."
Her family also said that Oliver "leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service, and inspiration. We will remember her commitment to the people of New Jersey and her tireless efforts to uplift the community."
Politics
"May her memory be a source of comfort and strength to all who knew her," the statement concluded.
On Monday, Oliver was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston for an undisclosed medical issue as she was unable to carry out the duties of acting governor, Murphy’s spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement.
Gunaratna said Oliver was receiving “medical care,” but declined to elaborate.
Under the state constitution, Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari has stepped in to serve as acting governor.
“Pursuant to Constitutional mandates, I have again assumed the responsibilities of Acting Governor with a commitment to faithfully discharge the duties of the Office," Scutari said in a statement on Monday.
On Tuesday, Murphy shared a statement saying he and his family were "incredibly saddened" by the news of the passing of "his partner in government."
Murphy's office said he is returning from a family vacation in Italy, where he owns a home. He was set to return Aug. 13. Murphy also ordered that U.S. and New Jersey flags fly at half-staff in Oliver's honor at all state buildings and facilities from Friday, August 4, 2023, through Monday, September 4, 2023.
"I am ordering our flags to fly at half-staff for the next month as all of New Jersey mourns her loss together," Murphy wrote in a statement. "History will remember Lieutenant Governor Oliver as a trailblazer and an icon, and her memory and dedicated service to the people of our state will be an inspiration forever.”
Oliver, a Democrat, served as the state's second lieutenant governor since 2018.
Lawmakers across the state have been reacting to Oliver's sudden passing.
Assemblyman Paul Moriarity told NBC10 that she will be greatly missed, "she would be what would be called an unlikely leader. She was someone that was pretty low-key, but very passionate about the projects she undertook. She was really about helping marginalized people."
She concurrently served as the head of the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and oversees code enforcement.
In 2010, she became the first African-American woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly in the state's history.
She served in the Assembly since 2004 and was on the Essex County board of chosen freeholders from 1996 to 1999. She was born and raised in Newark and has a sociology degree from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University.
Oliver was a compelling public speaker and frequent attendee at Murphy’s bill signings and other events, where he typically introduced her as his “rocking” lieutenant governor.
"I first met her when she was speaker of the state assembly. At that point, she was this trailblazer. She was the first African-American woman elected speaker of the state assembly so it was someone who I had no doubt in my mind served as a role model to other young African-American women," Assemblyman Bill Moen told NBC10.
In 2021 while unveiling tighter gun legislation alongside Murphy, Oliver’s voice cracked as she lamented the gun violence that disproportionately affected cities in the state. Speaking in her native Newark, Oliver lamented what she suggested was runaway gun violence.
“We are tired of funerals and memorials,” Oliver said. “Growing up in Newark, I tell young people I could go to any section of this city by myself or with my friends. Our young people cannot do that today.”
New Jersey State Police's colonel Patrick Callahan took to social media to reflect on Oliver's impact on the police force.
She was twice elected lieutenant governor alongside Murphy beginning in 2017 and again in 2021. Oliver was just the second person to hold the post of lieutenant governor, a newer state government position that began under previous Gov. Chris Christie.
It was unclear who would immediately succeed her.
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