North Jersey Democrats face impending deadline to agree on a successor
By Joey Fox and David Wildstein, NJ Spotlight, August 21 2024 11:48 am
William J. Pascrell, Jr., a beloved, old-school New Jersey politician who spent 28 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as a scrappy, impassioned advocate for his constituents, a proud liberal, a beacon of integrity, a ferocious advocate of tax fairness, and a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump and Ticketmaster, died today after a month-long illness. He was 87.
A former high school history teacher who could spend hours talking about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – and frequently did – Pascrell had a genuine love of democracy, delighted in finding ways for government to help the people, and steadfastly supported organized labor. Perhaps the only things he loved more than politics were his family, baseball, and the city where he lived his entire life, Paterson.
“As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved,” Pascrell’s family said in a short statement on social media. “Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation America.”
A self-proclaimed late bloomer, the U.S. Army veteran and grandson of Italian immigrants was 50 when first elected to the New Jersey State Assembly in 1987, 53 when he became mayor of Paterson in 1990, and 59 when he narrowly defeated freshman Rep. Bill Martini (R-Clifton) in 1996. He was the second-oldest member of the House, and would have become the oldest had he been re-elected this year.
During his nearly three decades as a congressman, Pascrell led a successful mission to designate Paterson’s Great Falls as a component of the National Park System, sponsored the Alternatives to Opioids section of the 2018 Emergency Department Act to fight the epidemic, sponsored the Bring Jobs Home Act to boost the creation of domestic jobs, and was the lead sponsor of a bill to bring the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT) back.
Related news:
Pascrell represented north Jersey, fighting for fire safety (NJ Spotlight)
Democrats face close deadline to replace Pascrell on the ballot (NJ Spotlight)
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