JERSEY CITY, NJ – Congressman Rob Menendez today released the following statement after the passing of New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver:

“Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver was a true public servant as she brought her experiences and communities with her to each position she held. As the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, and as Lieutenant Governor, she was also a trailblazer and an unrelenting fighter for the people of New Jersey who dedicated decades of her life to public service.

“This is a devastating loss for our state, for all the communities that she served in the Assembly and later as Lieutenant Governor and Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. I will always carry with me the opportunities I had to spend in her company and watch her masterfully perform her duties and obligations to the great people of the State of New Jersey whom she cherished. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with Lieutenant Governor Oliver’s family, friends, and all New Jerseyans who today lost one of their biggest champions in government.”