Bill to reform House special election schedules goes to Murphy
The legislature sent a bill reforming the process of filling U.S. House vacancies to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk on Monday afternoon.
The Assembly approved the bill 66-7 and one abstention, and the state Senate passed the bill 39-0. The bill tightens and standardizes the procedures by which a governor must schedule special elections for U.S. House vacancies, of which New Jersey has experienced four in recent years.
State Sens. Andrew Zwicker (D-South Brunswick) and John McKeon (D-West Orange) first introduced a version of the bill last May. The U.S. Constitution allows governors to appoint replacements to fill federal Senate vacancies, but vacancies in the House must be filled via a special election.
A series of vacancies spurred the legislation: The late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died in April 2024, and the late Rep. Bill Pascrell died months later in August. Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill left the House of Representatives on Nov. 20, and a special general election to fill her seat will be held on April 16. Senator Andy Kim left the House in December 2024 to assume his Senate seat, but the short window before the next congressional session meant his seat sat empty until January.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/bill-to-reform-house-special-election-schedules-goes-to-murphy/