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New Jersey’s lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver has died. She was 71.
According to a statement from Oliver’s family, she passed on Tuesday, Aug. 1, only a day after it was reported that she was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical issue.
“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,” the statement began. “She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero.”
“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. Sheila Y. 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.”
Oliver, a democrat, was serving as the state’s acting governor when she died, as Phil Murphy is overseas with his family, vacationing in Italy.
Murphy, who is set to return to the office later this month, mourned the sudden loss of his colleague on social media earlier this afternoon.
“Tammy and I, and our children, are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government, @LtGovOliver,” he wrote. “We ask that you all keep the Oliver family and all those who loved her in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Tammy and I, and our children, are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government, @LtGovOliver.
We ask that you all keep the Oliver family and all those who loved her in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/ty6drz7DgY— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) August 1, 2023
“When I selected her to be my running mate in 2017, Lieutenant Governor Oliver was already a trailblazer in every sense of the word,” Murphy continued. “She had already made history as the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly and just the second Black woman in the nation’s history to lead a house of a state legislature. I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.”
Aside from praising her history-making career, which includes serving as the first Black woman speaker of the New Jersey Assembly in 2010, Murphy applauded her as “an incredibly genuine and kind person whose friendship and partnership will be irreplaceable.”
According to the family’s statement, information and details regarding memorial arrangements will be provided at a later date. “Until then, we appreciate your understanding and support. May her memory be a source of comfort and strength to all who knew her.”
New Jersey’s state Senate President Nicholas Scutari, also a Democrat, has been acting in Oliver’s place since she entered the hospital, as mandated by the constitution.
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