Sheila Oliver, Lt. Governor of New Jersey, has died

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, 71, a political trailblazer who was the first Black woman to serve as head of the state Assembly and helped steer Atlantic City through a contentious state takeover, has died.

“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,” her family said in a statement. “She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero.”

Oliver was hospitalized Monday with an undisclosed illness. She had been serving temporarily as New Jersey’s governor after Gov. Phil Murphy left for a vacation last week, according to his office. He is expected to return to New Jersey “within the next few days,” spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D., Union) assumed the duties of acting governor Monday morning. According to the New Jersey state constitution, the lieutenant governor fills in as acting governor when the governor is not in the state. If the lieutenant governor is unable to fill in, the Senate president takes over.

» READ MORE: How New Jersey will pick a new lieutenant governor after Sheila Oliver’s death

In a statement, Murphy said that making Oliver his lieutenant governor was “the best decision I ever made.”

“She brought a unique and invaluable perspective to our public policy discourse and served as an inspiration to millions of women and girls everywhere, especially young women of color,” Murphy said.

In Trenton and Camden, flags were ordered to fly at half-staff until her interment.

A Newark native, Oliver spent nearly three decades in government, beginning in 1994, when she began serving on the East Orange Board of Education. In 2004, she was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly, and by 2006, she had become the assistant majority leader and served as chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee.

Oliver made history in 2010 as the first Black woman in the state to serve as Assembly speaker.

“She more or less epitomized the American dream,” said Sen. Shirley K. Turner (D., Mercer), adding that her impact was inspirational, particularly for women and people of color. “She was a regular person, born and raised in an urban area, grew up there, and went on to blaze new trails and create a legacy for herself and so many people.”

In 2017, Murphy picked Oliver as his running mate, and she went on to become the first Black woman to hold the position of lieutenant governor in the state.

In past stints as acting governor, Oliver signed a number of bills into law, including 2021 legislation that created a pilot program to renovate New Jersey’s juvenile justice system in several cities throughout the state.

“I talked with [Oliver] right after I was elected, She had kind words and solid advice for me as a new LG and young elected official,” said Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. “Her work advocating for juvenile justice reform and equal pay made N.J. a better place. Rest in Power, Lt. Gov. Oliver.”

The news of Oliver’s death hit especially hard in Atlantic City.

As lieutenant governor, Oliver also worked as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, a role in which she served at times as de facto mayor of Atlantic City, overseeing a 47-part “Implementation Plan” designed to reinvigorate the financially ailing city under the state’s takeover law.

An emotional and tearful Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said he was “devastated” by Oliver’s death. He said “the L.G.,” as he called her, was “a great friend, a big supporter of Atlantic City,” as well as “an adviser, mentor and advocate.”

Before becoming lieutenant governor, he recalled, Oliver opposed the state takeover under then-Gov. Chris Christie and traveled to Atlantic City to attend community forums and help residents in speaking out against the takeover.

Then, he said, she was put in the position of overseeing a takeover she didn’t support.

“She made it very clear that she was going to support Atlantic City,” Small said. “She believed in our leadership. She told me she would give me all the tools necessary to succeed and she had full faith in our leadership.”

“I’m in shock,” said Ralph Hunter, a historian and head of the African-American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, located in Atlantic City.

”She was a dear friend of Atlantic City,” Hunter said. He continued, “... She was instrumental in getting good things done for us, for the city and the museum, in her tenure. What a loss.”

Under her leadership, the once-hostile state takeover of Atlantic City blossomed into a partnership praised by city leaders and residents.

“She was elegant, sophisticated, intelligent, a committed leader,” said Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, who first met Oliver when she held a seat now referred to as a county commissioner in Essex County. “I counted her as a colleague, as a friend, and a great champion of Atlantic City without a doubt. She will be surely missed.”

Politicians around the state offered remembrances of their late colleague. Her passing, Christie said on social media, is “a sad day for N.J. and for me personally.”

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) noted that Oliver’s career was spent fighting “tirelessly for social justice, affordable housing, and economic opportunity for New Jerseyeans.” And Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D., Bergen), a friend and confidant who worked with Oliver co-chairing the New Jersey Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny, called her a strong advocate who respected the positions she held.

“In one of her texts, she said that we have to show that not only should women be in the room and at the table, but also in the fray,” Weinberg said. “I thought, that kind of sums her up. She was never afraid of the fray.”

Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. recalled Oliver as an advocate for the county due to her work on improving conditions at some of its neglected privately owned apartment complexes, and her support for the Camden County Historical Society’s Black History Marker Program.

In addition, Cappelli added, Oliver was a strong supporter of the Camden County Police Department, promoting its principles of de-escalation, conflict resolution, and accountability in law enforcement.

State Assemblyman Bill Moen (D., Camden) credited Oliver’s support for the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. In 2021, she visited Camden to announce funding for renovations to the historic ship. Moen called her death “profound” for the entire state.

Longtime lobbyist Jeannine Frisby LaRue remembered Oliver as a “mentor’s mentor,” particularly for young women. Her voice, LaRue said, will be missed.

”She’s left her mark in politics, in that chamber — she certainly left her mark being the first female Democrat to be elected,” LaRue said. “She left her mark as the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly — and I’m glad that she did it.”

Oliver’s family said further information and details regarding memorial arrangements would be provided “in due course.”

Staff writer Emily Bloch contributed to this article.