Shavonda E. Sumter

Last updated

Shavonda Sumter
Shavonda E. Sumter (cropped).jpg
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 35th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2012
Servingwith Al Abdelaziz
Personal details
Born (1974-01-19) January 19, 1974 (age 51)
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party Democratic
SpouseKenneth Sumter
Children2
Education Kean University (BA)
Fairleigh Dickinson University
(MBA)
Website State Assembly website

Shavonda E. Sumter (born January 19, 1974) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 35th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in January 2012.

Contents

Personal

Sumter was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the daughter of Charles and Bonnie Williams. She attended public and private schools in Paterson, Prospect Park, and Haledon. She graduated from Kean University in 1996 with a B.A. degree in political science. She earned an M.B.A. degree in health care administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Sumter has worked in health services and currently serves as director of behavioral health services at Mountainside Medical Center in Glen Ridge. [1]

Sumter has served on the New Jersey Democratic State Committee since 2008. [2] She was one of the members of the electoral college who cast a ballot for Barack Obama and Joe Biden after the 2008 presidential election. [3] In 2010, Sumter was the campaign manager for Jeffery Jones in his successful campaign for Mayor of Paterson. [1]

As of September 2016, Sumter was considering a run for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2017, and was also considered the leading candidate for selection as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor. [4] However, the eventual Democratic nominee for governor, Phil Murphy, chose Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver as his running mate.

In 2024, following the death of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Sumter briefly campaigned to be the replacement Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives election for New Jersey's 9th congressional district, but eventually withdrew. [5]

A resident of North Haledon, she is married to Kenneth Sumter and has two children: Tyler (1998) and Kenneth Jr. (2000) [1]

New Jersey General Assembly

In the 2011 New Jersey General Assembly election, there were two open Assembly seats in the 35th District, after Nellie Pou decided to run for the State Senate and Elease Evans retired. Sumter and her running mate, Benjie E. Wimberly, defeated the Republican candidates, William Connolly and Donna Puglisi. She was sworn in on January 10, 2012. [6] She held the leadership positions in the Assembly of Majority Conference Leader from 2015 to 2019 and was Deputy Speaker from 2014 to 2015. [2]

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are: [2]

District 35

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. [7] The representatives from the 35th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are: [8]

Electoral history

35th Legislative District General Election, 2023 [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Benjie E. Wimberly (incumbent) 12,320 50.2
Democratic Shavonda Sumter (incumbent) 12,214 49.8
Total votes24,534 100.0
Democratic hold
Democratic hold
35th legislative district general election, 2021 [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Benjie E. Wimberly (incumbent) 20,276 34.56%
Democratic Shavonda Sumter (incumbent) 20,235 34.49%
Republican Ramzy Yamisha9,16615.62%
Republican Iman Majagah8,99015.32%
Total votes58,667 100.0
Democratic hold
35th Legislative District General Election, 2019
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Benjie Wimberly (incumbent) 13,213 43.61%
Democratic Shavonda Sumter (incumbent) 13,173 43.48%
Republican Tamer Mamkej3,90912.9%
Total votes30,295 100%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haledon, New Jersey</span> Borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

Haledon is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,052, an increase of 734 (+8.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,318, which in turn reflected an increase of 66 (+0.8%) from the 8,252 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Haledon, New Jersey</span> Borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

North Haledon is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,927, an increase of 510 (+6.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,417, which in turn reflected an increase of 497 (+6.3%) from the 7,920 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect Park, New Jersey</span> Borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

Prospect Park is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,372, an increase of 507 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 5,865, which in turn reflected an increase of 86 (+1.5%) from the 5,779 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellie Pou</span> American politician (born 1956)

Nelida "Nellie" Avila Pou is an American civil servant and politician currently serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 9th congressional district. A Democrat, she previously served in the New Jersey Senate from 2012 to 2025 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1997 to 2012, representing the 35th legislative district. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed Bill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district.

Alfred E. Steele is an American Baptist clergyman and Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly starting in 1996, where he represented the 35th legislative district. He resigned on September 10, 2007, in the wake of his arrest the previous week on corruption charges.

Elease Evans is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from November 2007 until January 2012, representing the 35th legislative district. Evans held a seat that was vacated by former Assemblyman Alfred E. Steele on September 10, 2007. She was first sworn into the Assembly on November 9, 2007.

New Jersey's 9th congressional district is an urban congressional district in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and was represented in Congress by Democrat Bill Pascrell until his death in 2024, first elected in 1996 from the old 8th district. The 9th district consists largely of municipalities in Bergen and Passaic Counties.

Annette M. Quijano is an American Democratic Party politician, who has represented the 20th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since September 25, 2008, having been selected by Union County Democrats to succeed Neil M. Cohen, who resigned on July 28, 2008, amid allegations of child pornography on an official computer.

James J. Kennedy is a Democratic Party politician who has represented the 22nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in January 2016. He served as Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey from 1991 through 2010, when he declined to seek a sixth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey's 35th legislative district</span> American legislative district

New Jersey's 35th legislative district is one of 40 districts that make up the map for the New Jersey Legislature. It encompasses the Bergen County municipalities of Elmwood Park and Garfield and the Passaic County municipalities of Haledon, North Haledon, Paterson, and Prospect Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey's 34th legislative district</span> American legislative district

New Jersey's 34th legislative district is one of 40 districts that make up the map for the New Jersey Legislature. It encompasses the Essex County municipalities of Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge Township, Nutley, and Orange.

Gabriela M. Mosquera is an American Democratic Party politician, who represented the 4th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from March 5, 2012, until January 9, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjie Wimberly</span> Member of the New Jersey General Assembly

Benjie E. Wimberly is an American teacher and Democratic Party politician who is the member of the New Jersey Senate from the 35th district since 2025. He previously represented the 35th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2012 to 2025. He was also the head coach of the football team at Hackensack High School and is serving as the recreation director of Paterson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol A. Murphy</span> American politician

Carol A. Murphy is an American politician of the Democratic Party, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 9, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verlina Reynolds-Jackson</span> Member of the New Jersey General Assembly

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson is an American Democratic Party politician who represents the 15th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly. Previously a member of the Trenton City Council, Reynolds-Jackson was sworn into office on February 15, 2018, to succeed Elizabeth Maher Muoio, who left office after being nominated to serve as Treasurer of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 New Jersey General Assembly election</span>

The 2017 New Jersey General Assembly elections were held on November 7, 2017, to elect members to all 80 seats of the New Jersey General Assembly. Prior to the elections, Democrats held a 52–28 majority in the lower house. Overall, the Democrats increased their majority by 2 to a super-majority at 54–26, due to holding all their seats as well as picking up open seats in District 2 and District 16. This tied Democrats for their largest majority since 1979.

Shama Haider is a Democratic Party politician who represents the 37th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on January 11, 2022. Along with Sadaf Jaffer, she is one of the first Muslim women to be elected to the New Jersey Legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Park</span> Member of the New Jersey General Assembly

Ellen J. Park is an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician who was elected in the 2021 New Jersey General Assembly election as an assemblywoman for New Jersey's 37th legislative district, making her the first Korean American woman to be elected to the New Jersey Legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey legislative districts, 2021 apportionment</span>

The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one senator and two assemblymen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 5, 2024, to elect the twelve U.S. representatives from the State of New Jersey, one from all twelve of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections were held on June 4, 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Meet Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter". Shavonda Sumter for Assembly. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter (D), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ "U. S. Electoral College 2008 Election - Certificates". Archives.gov. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ "The Battle of Fort Sumter: Top-Tier Gubernatorial Candidates Share a Common LG Play". The New York Observer . September 11, 2016.
  5. ↑ Sumter drops out of NJ-9 race, New Jersey Globe, Aug. 27, 2024
  6. ↑ "Turnover in N.J. Legislature is slight" . Asbury Park Press . January 10, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ Legislative Roster for District 35, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey Assembly
from the 35th district
2012–present
Served alongside: Benjie E. Wimberly, Al Abdelaziz 		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.