Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, whose pioneering decades-long career made her the highest-profile Black woman in the history of New Jersey politics, died on Tuesday. She was 71.
“Sheila Y. Oliver leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service, and inspiration,” the Oliver family said in a statement announcing her death. “We will remember her commitment to the people of New Jersey and her tireless efforts to uplift the community.”
Oliver, who was born and raised in Newark before spending most of her life as an East Orange resident, represented urban Essex County in the State House for more than a decade. She was selected as speaker of the state Assembly in 2009, making her the first Black woman to hold that post. Gov. Phil Murphy chose Oliver as his running mate during the 2017 gubernatorial campaign. When the pair won office that fall, Oliver became the first Black woman to serve as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor.
“I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement on Tuesday. “It was the best decision I ever made.”
Murphy, who was vacationing outside the country at the time of Oliver’s death, said that he is returning to New Jersey. In the meantime, Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union) is serving as acting governor. Murphy will have 45 days to select a new lieutenant governor.
