The late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (DN.J.) won the Democratic nomination for another term in the House on Tuesday, weeks after he died in office.
The vote in New Jersey had already been decided when Payne died of a heart attack related to complications from diabetes in late April. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, representing New Jersey’s 10th congressional district.
A special election to choose someone to serve the remainder of Payne’s current term was already scheduled; Governor Phil Murphy (D) set the primary for next month and general elections will take place in September, allowing the winner to serve out the final months of his term.
As for determining who will be the Democratic nominee in the upcoming November general election for the next session of Congress, state law calls for members of the party’s precinct committees in the district to decide who to select.
The chairmen of Essex, Hudson and Union counties, which make up the 10th District, would call a convention for committee members to meet and choose a candidate. The convention should take place by the end of August.
The convention, however, could take place after the special primaries, allowing members to select whoever wins the nomination to serve the remainder of the term. But they are not obligated to choose that person.
Whoever wins the special primary next month and is the convention’s pick for the next term will be almost certain to win the September and November general elections, respectively, in the solidly Democratic district.
Payne had represented the district since 2012, when he succeeded his father, former Rep. Donald Payne Sr. (D), following his own death from colon cancer. The elder Payne was the first black American to represent New Jersey in Congress.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
