Man stabbed to death on park bench at Williamsbridge Oval

TRENTON, NJ – The conspiracy has always been that New Jersey Democrats are filling the voter rolls with dead voters. This week, the party went even further and elected a dead man to run for Congress.

In a rare and unexpected political event, Representative Donald Payne Jr. was posthumously elected in the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 10th Congressional District. Rep. Payne, a respected member of the Congressional Black Caucus, suffered a fatal heart attack on April 24, as reported by the New York Post.

Despite his untimely death, Payne was the only registered candidate in the primary, with the filing deadline having passed in March. The congressman was a dominant political figure in the district, holding the seat since 2012 following his father, who also died while in office after 20 years of service.

Given the timing of his death and New Jersey's election laws, Payne's name remained on the ballot. New Jersey law states that in such cases, Payne cannot be replaced on the ballot.

Therefore, a special primary election is scheduled for July 16 to select a candidate likely to fill the seat given the district's strong Democratic lean.

The 10th District, which includes Newark and other parts of Hudson, Union and Essex counties, has not seen a Republican representative since 1946 and currently sports a significant 6-1 Democratic advantage. The strong Democratic hold on the seat and the historical context of the Payne family's political legacy make this upcoming special primary a critical and closely watched event, with nearly a dozen Democrats expressing interest in running.