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After serving in the New Jersey legislature for 17 years, Watson Coleman became the first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress in 2014, winning the 12th Congressional District seat left open by Rush Holt’s retirement.
Watson Coleman was endorsed by the National Organization of Women, the Communications Workers of America, the AFL-CIO, NJ Working Families Alliance, the Sierra Club, Garden State Equality and NJ Citizen Action.
Republican Darius Mayfield focused his campaign on affordability, school choice and border security. His motto was, “Not Black. Not white. American.”
In the 12th Congressional District, 43% of registered voters are Democrats and 18% are Republicans. The district includes parts of Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties and Plainfield in Union County.