LaMonica McIver


LaMonica R. McIver is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she served on the Newark municipal council from 2018 to 2024. McIver was first elected to Congress in a September 2024 special election to succeed Donald Payne Jr. in Congress, who died in office in April.
On June 10, 2025, McIver was indicted by a grand jury for "forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers", which carries a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. She has disputed the charges, claiming that they are political in nature.
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Early life and career

McIver was born in Newark, New Jersey, on June 20, 1986, the oldest of four children. She grew up in the city's Central Ward, and graduated from Central High School in 2004. Her mother struggled with substance abuse as McIver was growing up. McIver was the first in her family to attend college, and she graduated from Bloomfield College with a degree in English Literature and from Seton Hall University with a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy. Prior to entering politics, McIver worked as a personnel director for Montclair Public Schools and public affairs manager for Newark's Public Service Enterprise Group. She co-founded a non-profit, Newark G.A.L.S., to foster leadership in young women and girls, and was active with another Newark non-profit, the Believe in Newark Foundation. She is married, and she and her husband have a daughter.
Ras Baraka was her fifth grade teacher, and McIver first developed an interest in politics while handing out flyers to support his campaign for city council. The New York Times described Baraka as playing "a key role in shepherding her career".
McIver was elected to the Municipal Council of Newark in 2018 and became its president in 2022. She resigned from the council presidency in 2024 to focus on her congressional campaign.

U.S. House of Representatives

Election

Following the death of Donald Payne Jr., who represented in the United States House of Representatives, in April 2024, McIver announced her candidacy in the special election to fill the seat in May. She won the Democratic Party primary election in July and won the general election in September. She was sworn in on September 23, 2024. She won her first full term in the November 5, 2024, general election.

Newark immigration detention center incident

On May 9, 2025, McIver performed an oversight visit at an ICE detention facility in Newark, along with two other Democratic representatives from New Jersey, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez. Mayor Ras Baraka, who arrived a half hour later, was invited onto the property, where he waited for the congressional delegation. He was later asked to leave, which he did, and he was then arrested for trespassing, though the charges were subsequently dropped. McIver and others attempted to protect Baraka from arrest. On May 19, 2025, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced that McIver had been charged with assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement in connection with the incident. In a statement released on the same day, McIver said, of the charges, that "they mischaracterize and distort actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight." On May 20, 2025, McIver stated that she rejected a plea deal from the United States Department of Justice. On June 10, McIver was indicted by federal prosecutors led by Alina Habba for her actions at the Newark immigration center. At her arraignment hearing, McIver pleaded not guilty, and Judge Jamel Semper set a trial date of November 10.

Caucus memberships