Sheila Oliver

Sheila Yvette Oliver (July 14, 1952 – August 1, 2023) was an American politician who served as the second lieutenant governor of New Jersey from 2018 until her death in 2023.

[12] As a part of intra-party deal making in 2003, Oliver and incumbent Assemblyman Peter C. Eagler were chosen to be the party-backed candidates in the June 2003 primary election for General Assembly from the 34th district.

[14] Prior to her initial run for lieutenant governor, Oliver was re-elected to the Assembly six consecutive times following her first election victory in 2003.

Police and fire unions were furious with the Speaker, claiming that she told them the issue was still under consideration before announcing the bill would be introduced later that same day.

[18] Then-Assemblyman Joseph Cryan was unsuccessful in his efforts to convince his fellow Democrats to stage a coup against reappointing Oliver as Speaker.

[10] On June 10, 2013, Oliver formally announced that she would run in the special election for the United States Senate seat which had been previously held by the late Frank Lautenberg.

[26] In the August 13 special Democratic primary, Cory Booker prevailed; Oliver came in fourth place out of four candidates, winning four percent of the vote.

[27] In July 2017, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy announced that he had chosen Oliver as his running mate in the 2017 election for governor of New Jersey.

[28][a] Murphy and Oliver defeated the Republican ticket of Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and Mayor Carlos Rendo of Woodcliff Lake.

Oliver, in addition to being elected Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, also won re-election to her legislative seat in the General Assembly in 2017.

During her time as acting governor, Oliver signed legislation related to several areas, including aid for caregivers of the elderly and disabled, financial literacy education in schools, wage protections, and restorative juvenile justice.

[13] Following Oliver's death, Murphy returned to New Jersey early before ordering flags at state facilities to fly at half-staff for one month, through September 4, as a sign of respect.

[50] A number of Democratic and Republican politicians paid tribute to Oliver, with Representative Frank Pallone describing her as a "trailblazer in every sense of the word" who "always fought for what was right".

Oliver as Speaker of the Assembly in 2011
Oliver as lieutenant governor, presenting an award to Charles F. Lowery in 2019