Watson Coleman was born in Camden, New Jersey, and attended Rutgers University before receiving a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College in 1985. She began her career in the New Jersey state government, working for the New Jersey State Division on Civil Rights and later serving as director of the Office of Civil Rights, Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action in the New Jersey Department of Transportation. In the New Jersey General Assembly, she held the position of Majority Leader from 2006 to 2010.
In 2014, Watson Coleman ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 12th congressional district to succeed retiring Representative Rush Holt. She won the Democratic primary and later the general election, becoming the first African-American woman elected to represent a New Jersey district in Congress. In the House, she is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, among other caucuses. She co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls in 2016, as well as the America 250 Caucus to help plan activities for America's semiquincentennial commemoration in 2026.
Watson Coleman worked for the New Jersey state government for over 28 years before retiring. She began her career in the New Jersey State Division on Civil Rights in Newark as a field representative in the late 1960s. She then joined the Office of Civil Rights, Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action in the New Jersey Department of Transportation, serving as its first director from 1974 to 1980.[6][4] In 1980, she joined the Department of Community Affairs first as bureau chief before being promoted to assistant commissioner.[6] In this position, she was responsible for the aging, community resources, public guardian, and women divisions.[4] In 1985, she received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College after briefly attending Rutgers University.[5][4]
Watson Coleman served on the Governing Boards Association of State Colleges from 1987 to 1998 and as its chair from 1991 to 1993. She was a member of the Ewing Township Planning Board from 1996 to 1997, a member of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey board of trustees from 1981 to 1998 and was its chair from 1990 to 1991.[7]
Election results for the 15th legislative district by municipality in 2013, the final campaign that Watson Coleman ran in for Assembly Giordano/Taylor: 50–60% 60–70% Gusciora/Watson Coleman: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90%
She was a member of the joint legislative investigative committee probing the closing of lanes on the George Washington bridge, later known as Bridgegate. She resigned from the committee in early 2014 after calling for GovernorChris Christie to resign.[13]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Following the announcement that Congressman Rush Holt would not seek another term in office, Watson Coleman announced her candidacy for the seat in New Jersey's 12th congressional district in early 2014.[14] Several other candidates joined the primary, including senator Linda Greenstein, assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, and resident Andrew Zwicker.[15] The primary was considered competitive between Greenstein and Watson Coleman, with each picking up key local endorsements.[15] On June 3, Watson Coleman won the Democratic primary with 43% of the vote.[15][16] With 60.9% of the vote,[16] she defeated Republican nominee Alieta Eck and several third party candidates in the November 4 general election[17] Watson Coleman's win made her the first African-American woman elected to represent a New Jersey district in the U.S. House of Representatives.[18]
Watson Coleman ran for reelection in 2016. In the primary, she faced off against Alexander Kucsma, a former mayor and pro-gun, anti-abortion Democrat.[19] She won the primary with 93.6% of the vote.[16] In the general election, she defeated Republican meat wholesaler Steven Uccio with 62.9% of the vote.[16][20] Watson Coleman spent $630,000 in the race, while Uccio spent none.[20]
In 2018, she ran uncontested in the Democratic primary. She easily won reelection against Republican Daryl Kipnis, receiving 68.7% to 31.3% of the vote.[16] Watson Coleman spent around $828,000 while Kipnis spent around $23,000.[21]
She faced off against perennial candidate Lisa McCormick in the 2020 Democratic primary. McCormick attempted to steal Watson Coleman's identity and used anti-Semitic tropes in her campaign. Watson Coleman won with over 90% of the vote.[22] Watson Coleman later thanked the secretary of state for referring the candidates to the attorney general's office for investigation.[23] She easily won the general election against Republican Mark Razzoli, an Old Bridge Township councilman with 65% of the vote.[24][16] Watson Coleman spent around $819,000 while Razzoli only spent around $1,100.[21]
In the 2022 primary, she ran uncontested. She defeated Republican Darius Mayfield with 63% of the vote in the general election.[16] She spent around $959,000 while Mayfield spent $259,000.[21]
Watson Coleman won the 2024 Democratic primary against former Princeton school board member Daniel Dart with about 87% of the vote.[25]
During the 114th Congress, as a member of the Homeland Security committee, she introduced the Homeland Security Drone Assessment and Analysis Act to research and mitigate the risks of drones; the House passed the legislation by voice vote.[27] She introduced the Healthy MOM Act to allow women to enroll in, or change their health coverage if they become pregnant.[28] She also introduced the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act which would require ID confirmation to purchase ammo on the internet.[29] On March 3, 2015, Watson Coleman participated with fellow Democrats in a boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress.[30] In March 2016, she co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls with Representatives Robin Kelly and Yvette D. Clarke to address the socioeconomic issues affecting black women and girls.[31]
In 2017, Watson Coleman introduced the Customer Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in “public accommodations."[32] That same year, she, alongside Representatives Jerry Nadler and Pramila Jayapal, introduced a resolution to censure President Donald Trump for his remarks at Charlottesville.[33] She introduced the End For-Profit Prisons Act of 2017 to phase out private prison contracts.[6]
Watson Coleman introduced the CROWN Act in 2021 to prohibit hair discrimination; the bill passed the House but died in the Senate;[36] the bill was reintroduced in 2024.[37] In 2022, she and other representatives were arrested at an abortion rights rally outside the Supreme Court.[38] She sponsored the Semiquincentennial Commemorative Coin Act to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.[39] Alongside a group of other representatives, she reintroduced the Protect Black Women and Girls Act to establish a task force to examine the experiences of black women and girls.[40] Watson Coleman has co-sponsored a ceasefire resolution in response to the Israel-Hamas War.[3]
In 1972, Watson Coleman married Jim Carter and had one son. They divorced in the early 1980s. In 1995, she married William Coleman. He has two sons from a previous marriage.[42] She is Baptist and resides in Ewing Township.[4][43]
Watson Coleman's two sons, William Carter-Watson and Jared C. Coleman, pleaded guilty to holding up the Kids "R" Us store at Mercer Mall with a handgun as it was about to close on March 12, 2001; they were sentenced to seven years in prison and served five and a half years. Watson Coleman has acknowledged it in the past and sponsored an Assembly bill that became law to prevent employers with more than 15 employees from asking job applicants if they have a criminal history. Watson Coleman argued for the law, saying, "One of the greatest barriers to a second chance in the state of New Jersey is a barrier to employment." In 2014, her son William Carter-Watson was hired by the Mercer County Park Commission as an entry-level laborer. When asked for comment, Brian Hughes, the County Executive, said, "the county has maintained a policy of hiring ex-convicts in search of a second chance".[44][45]
Health
In the summer of 2018, Watson Coleman underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.[46] Watson Coleman tested positive for COVID-19 on January 11, 2021. She believed she contracted the virus from Republican colleagues who refused to wear masks while they sheltered together during the 2021 storming of the Capitol.[47] She underwent back surgery to treat lumbar spinal stenosis in June 2024.[48]
* Independent candidates Kenneth J. Cody, Jack Freudenheim and Allen J. Cannon received 0.4%, 0.4% and 0.3% respectively. ** Libertarian candidate Thomas Fitzpatrick, Green candidate Steven Welzer and Independent candidate Michael R. Bollentin received 0.9%, 0.7% and 0.4% respectively.
