U.S. Representative Donald Payne Jr., a Democrat who succeeded his late father in 2012 to represent a New Jersey district encompassing Newark and its suburbs, passed away on April 24 at a Newark hospital at the age of 65 during his sixth term.
His father, Donald Payne Sr., the first Black congressman from New Jersey who chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and served 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, passed away in 2012 at the age of 77 due to colon cancer.
Donald Payne Jr., previously the city council president in Newark, won a special election for a predominantly African American and Democratic district. Throughout his time in office, he advocated for raising awareness about diabetes and colorectal cancer prevention, as well as for the replacement of lead pipes in Newark.
As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, he played a role in establishing a School Safety Task Force within the Department of Homeland Security and pushed for additional safety measures for children and schools during emergencies.
Born in Newark on December 17, 1958, Donald Milford Payne Jr. lost his mother at a young age. Following in his father’s political footsteps, he founded the Newark South Ward Junior Democrats as a teenager. While studying graphic arts at Kean College (now university) in Union, New Jersey, he did not complete his degree.
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