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Donald M. Payne

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For persons of a similar name, seeDonald Payne (disambiguation).
Donald Payne
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew Jersey's10thdistrict
In office
January 3, 1989 – March 6, 2012
Preceded byPeter Rodino
Succeeded byDonald Payne Jr.
Personal details
Born
Donald Milford Payne

(1934-07-16)July 16, 1934
Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
DiedMarch 6, 2012(2012-03-06)(aged 77)
Livingston, New Jersey,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Hazel Johnson
​
​
(m.1958; died 1963)​
Children3, includingDonald Jr.
RelativesWilliam D. Payne(brother)
Craig A. Stanley(nephew)
EducationSeton Hall University(BA)
Springfield College, Massachusetts
Donald M. Payne's voice
Payne speaks on theAIDS epidemic in the United States
Recorded October 4, 1999

Donald Milford Payne Sr.(July 16, 1934 – March 6, 2012) was an American politician who was theU.S. representativeforNew Jersey's 10th congressional districtfrom 1989 until his death. He was a member of theDemocratic Party.The district encompassed most of the city ofNewark,parts ofJersey CityandElizabeth,and some suburban communities inEssexandUnioncounties. He was the first African American to represent New Jersey in Congress.[1]

Early life, education, and early political career

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Payne was born in Newark and was a 1952 graduate ofBarringer High School.He did his undergraduate studies atSeton Hall University,graduating in 1957. After graduating he pursued post-graduate studies inSpringfield CollegeinMassachusetts.Before being elected to Congress in 1988, Payne was an executive atPrudential Financial,Vice President of Urban Data Systems Inc., and a teacher in theNewark Public Schools.[2]In 1970, Payne became the first black president of the National Council ofYMCAs.[3]From 1973 to 1981 he was Chairman of the World Y.M.C.A. Refugee and Rehabilitation Committee.[4]

Payne's political career began in 1972, when he was elected to the Essex CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders,serving three terms.

In 1978, Payne ran against, and came in third to,Peter Shapiroin the June primary selecting the Democratic candidate for the firstEssex County Executive,with SheriffJohn F. Cryancoming in second.[5]

In 1982, he was elected to the Newark Municipal Council and served three terms, resigning in 1988 shortly after his election to Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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As early as 1974, Payne set out to become New Jersey's first African-American congressman. He ran against U.S. CongressmanPeter Rodinoin the 1980 and 1986 Democratic primaries-the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district-but lost both times. Rodino retired in 1988 after 40 years in Congress. Payne defeated fellow Municipal Councilman Ralph T. Grant Jr. by a nearly 4-to-1 margin in the Democratic primary, and was handily elected in November by a nearly 8-to-1 margin. He was re-elected eleven times with no substantive opposition; his lowest margin was 75 percent in 1994.[6][7] [8]

1996 Results

  • Don Payne (D) 84.16%
  • Vanessa Williams (R) 14.62%
  • Harley Tyler (NL) 0.79%
  • Toni Jackson (SWP) 0.43%

1998 Results

  • Don Payne (D) 84%
  • William Wnuck (R) 11%

2000 Results

  • Donald M. Payne (D) 87.5%
  • Dirk B. Weber (R) 12.1%
  • Maurice Williams (I) 0.4%

In the 2002 general election, Payne was reelected with 84.5% of the vote, receiving a higher margin of the vote than in any other New Jersey Congressional race run that year. In 2004, the Republicans didn't even put up a candidate, and Payne was reelected with 97% of the vote, againstGreen Partycandidate Toy-Ling Washington[9]andSocialist Workers Partycandidate Sara J. Lobman. In 2006, Payne was unopposed in the primary and general elections. In 2008, he won 99% of the vote against Green candidate Michael Taber. In 2010, Payne defeated little-known candidate Micheal Alonso.

U.S. House of Representatives

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General elections

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Year Democrat Votes Republican Votes
1988 Donald M. Payne 84,681 Michael Webb 13,848

Primary elections

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Year Democrat Votes
1980 Peter W. Rodino 26,943
1980 Donald M. Payne 9,825
1980 Golden E. Johnson 5,316
1980 Russell E. Fox 1,251
1986 Peter W. Rodino 25,136
1986 Donald M. Payne 15,216
1986 Pearl Hart 967
1986 Arthur S. Jones 931
1988 Donald M. Payne 40,608
1988 Ralph T. Grant Jr. 14,908

Tenure

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Payne's voting record was considered to have been the most consistently progressive of all New Jersey Congressmen at the time of his death. He waspro-choiceand against thedeath penalty.He was a member, and former chair, of theCongressional Black Caucus[10]and was chosen in 2002 by House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosito serve on theDemocratic Steering Committee.The Democratic Steering Committee chooses which House Committees each individual Democratic Congressmen will serve on and also plays a crucial part in shaping the Democratic legislative agenda. In international issues, Payne was active on issues relating to Africa, particularly regarding theconflictin theDarfurregion ofSudanand theWestern Sahara conflict.

As a leading advocate of education, Payne was instrumental in the passage of key legislation, including the Goals 2000 initiative to improve elementary and secondary schools; the School-to-Work Opportunities Act; the National Service Act, establishment of the National Literacy Institute; and funding for Head Start, Pell Grants, Summer Jobs and Student Loans.

Payne was also a member of theU.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs,where he served asChairmanof theUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Healthand as a member of the Subcommittee on theUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphereand theUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight.Congressman Payne was at the forefront of efforts to restore democracy and human rights in nations throughout the globe. He was one of five members of Congress chosen to accompany PresidentBill ClintonandHillary Clintonon their historic six-nation tour ofAfrica.He also headed a Presidential mission to war-torn Rwanda[11]to help find solutions to that country's political and humanitarian crises. In addition, he was recognized as having the most supportive record in Congress on issues involving theNorthern Ireland peace process.

On June 22, 2001 Payne was arrested after protesting against theSudanesegovernment at its embassy inWashington, D.C.[12]He was a supporter of and endorsed theGenocide Intervention Network.

In 2003, PresidentGeorge W. Bushappointed Payne as one of two members of Congress to serve as a Congressional delegate to theUnited Nationsand reappointed him in 2005 to an unprecedented second term. In this role, he met with theU.N. Secretary General,the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and regularly attended sessions of theU.N. General Assemblyand other high level meetings.

He was one of the 31 House Democrats who voted tonotcount the 20electoral votesfromOhioin the2004 presidential election.[13]PresidentGeorge W. Bushwon Ohio by 118,457 votes.[14]Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with theTwelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Payne received an "A" on the liberalDrum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.[15]

Payne served on the board of directors of theNational Endowment for Democracy,TransAfrica,Discovery ChannelGlobal Education Fund, theCongressional Award Foundation,theBoys and Girls Clubsof Newark, the Newark Day Center, the Fighting Back Initiative and the NewarkYMCA.He received numerous awards and honors from national, international and community-based organizations, including the Visionaries Award bestowed by the Africa Society and the prestigious Democracy Service Medal, which was previously awarded to Lech Walesa, the former Polish President and founder of the Solidarity movement, by the National Endowment for Democracy.

Payne supported SenatorBarack Obamain his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination after originally supportingHillary Clinton.[citation needed]

The Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship is named in his honor.[16]

Attack in Somalia

On April 13, 2009, Payne's plane was departing fromMogadishu,Somalia,when Somali fighters fired mortars at the airport. Payne was unhurt, as his plane was already bound forKenya.The attack came just one day after Captain Richard Phillips was rescued fromSomali piratesafter their failed hijacking of theMVMaersk Alabama.Payne stated that his party on the plane did not know the airport was attacked until after they arrived in Kenya.[17][18][19]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Personal life

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Several other of Payne's family members have held or currently hold public office. His son,Donald M. Payne Jr.,was president of theMunicipal Council of Newarkand an Essex County Freeholder-At-Large, and was elected to fill his father's seat in Congress on November 6, 2012. His brother,William D. Payne,served in theNew Jersey General Assemblyfrom 1998 to 2008. His nephew,Craig A. Stanley,served in the General Assembly from 1996 to 2008.[20]

Death

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Payne announced in a statement on February 10, 2012 that he was undergoing treatment forcolon cancer.[21]On March 2, 2012, it was reported that Payne had been flown from a hospital in Washington D.C. back to New Jersey via a medical transport plane,[22]because he was "gravely ill".[23]Payne died four days later, aged 77.[24]

Payne was succeeded in Congress by his son,Donald Payne Jr.,who served six terms until his death in office from a heart attack in 2024.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^May, Clifford D."After 40 Years Making the Law, Rodino Now Teaches It",The New York Times,January 27, 1989. Accessed December 12, 2007. "Peter Rodino is one of my heroes,said Representative Donald Payne, who this month succeeded Mr. Rodino and became the first black Congressman from New Jersey. "
  2. ^Congressional biography of Donald Milford Payne Jr.,United States Congress.Retrieved June 8, 2007.
  3. ^Milestones In the History of African Americans and the YMCA..Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  4. ^Sullivan, Joseph F."2 Vie to Be First Jersey Black in Congress","The New York Times",November 10, 1988. Accessed December 13, 2007." He was elected president of the National Council of Y.M.C.A.'s in 1970. From 1973 to 1981 he was chairman of the World Y.M.C.A. Refugee and Rehabilitation Committee. "
  5. ^Narvaez, Alfonso A."Shapiro Links Essex County Victory to Hard Work",The New York Times,June 8, 1978. Accessed March 19, 2018. "Assemblyman Peter Shapiro today attributed his victory in the Democratic primary yesterday for Essex County Executive to hard work by hundreds of volunteers who manned telephones to bring out voters in suburban communities and to inroads made by Freeholder Donald M. Payne in urban areas where Sheriff John F. Cryan had expected stronger support."
  6. ^Friedman, Matt."Pascrell, Donald Payne Jr. win key races in highly contested N.J. Congressional primaries",The Star-Ledger,June 5, 2012. Accessed April 18, 2019.
  7. ^Rizzo, Salvador"N.J. 10th Congressional District winner: Donald Payne Jr.",The Star-Ledger,November 6, 2012. Accessed April 18, 2019.
  8. ^Donald M. Payne, First Black Elected to Congress From New Jersey, Dies at 77,The New York Times,Raymond Hernandez, March 6, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  9. ^"Washington for Congress".2009-10-27. Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2009.Retrieved2012-11-23.
  10. ^"Membership".Congressional Black Caucus.Retrieved7 March2018.
  11. ^U.S. Gets a Warning on Burundi Situation.The New York Times. Accessed December 13, 2007.
  12. ^[1]ArchivedJanuary 4, 2006, at theWayback Machine
  13. ^Final Vote Results for Roll Call 7,Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,January 6, 2005. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  14. ^Salvato, Albert (29 December 2004)."Ohio Recount Gives a Smaller Margin to Bush".The New York Times.
  15. ^Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record,Drum Major Institute.Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  16. ^USAID's Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program.Retrieved May 6, 2024
  17. ^"U.S. lawmaker safe after plane fired on in Somalia".CNN.com. 2009-04-13.Retrieved2010-08-22.
  18. ^"Africa | Somali mortars miss US politician".BBC News.2009-04-13.Retrieved2010-08-22.
  19. ^"Somali Insurgents Fire at Plane Leaving Mogadishu With U.S. Congressman Aboard - washingtonpost.com".Feeds.washingtonpost.com. April 14, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon June 30, 2012.Retrieved2010-08-22.
  20. ^David Giambusso (February 11, 2012)."Despite cancer treatments, Payne will run for re-election, son says".Newark Star-Ledger.Retrieved2012-02-11.
  21. ^"NJ Rep. Donald Payne says he is suffering from colon cancer, vows to keep serving in Congress".The Washington Post.February 10, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon February 16, 2012.Retrieved2012-02-11.
  22. ^"Rep. Donald Payne, battling colon cancer, flown back to New Jersey".The Hill.March 2, 2012.Retrieved2012-03-02.
  23. ^"Rep. Donald Payne gravely ill".Politico. March 2, 2012.Retrieved2012-03-02.
  24. ^Giambusso, David (March 6, 2012)."U.S. Representative Donald Payne dead at 77".The Star-Ledger.
  25. ^Fox, Joey; Wildstein, David (24 April 2024)."Donald Payne, six-term congressman from New Jersey, dies at 65".New Jersey Globe.RetrievedApril 24,2024.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew Jersey's 10th congressional district
1989–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus
1995–1997 		Succeeded by
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