U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., an often belligerent Democrat who served as a state representative and mayor of Paterson and represented his northern New Jersey district in Congress for nearly three decades, has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 87.
Pascrell has been in and out of hospital since contracting an infection in July. In a social media post, his family said he “fought until his last breath to return to the job he loved so much and to the people he loved.”
Pascrell is the second-oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the state’s 9th Congressional District, which includes his hometown of Paterson. He ran for a 15th term in November and would have become the oldest member of the House if he won.
This is the second time this year that a member of New Jersey’s congressional delegation has died while in office. Representative Donald Payne Jr. (D-10th District) died of a heart attack in April.
“Bill Pascrell embodied the spirit of New Jersey. He fought tirelessly for his community. As the First Son of Paterson, he never forgot where he came from and left an indelible mark on North Jersey as a mayor, public school teacher, assemblyman and congressman who never strayed from doing what was right,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-9th District.
“Bill was a passionate advocate for the working class who always stood up for the little guy and fought to ensure that New Jersey families were treated fairly – whether on the factory floor, in the classroom or in the doctor’s office. In addition to his dedication, Bill was one of the funniest and most entertaining people you could ever meet. He was my friend and I was his.”
Known for his sometimes spirited and often witty public comments, Pascrell never lost an election in his 37 years in office. He served five terms in the Assembly, two as mayor of Paterson, and was in his 14th term in the House of Representatives when he died.
He was a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump and made great efforts to force the Republican to release his tax returns.
Born in Paterson to Italian immigrants, Pascrell later became student council president at the city’s St. John the Baptist High School before serving in the Army and graduating from Fordham University. He was a high school history teacher in nearby Paramus for 12 years and then a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
His career in public service began when Pascrell was appointed to the Paterson School Board and eventually served as its chairman.
Pascrell entered politics in 1987 when he was elected to the state Assembly at the age of 50. He once said that it was only then that he reached “political maturity.”
In 1990, Pascrell was also elected mayor of his hometown, the state’s third-largest city. He served in both offices for years, at a time when state law still allowed dual office.
Washington beckoned in 1996, when Pascrell turned New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District blue with a narrow victory over Republican incumbent Bill Martini – who had flipped the longtime Democratic stronghold two years earlier during a red wave.
In 2012, Pascrell’s hometown of Paterson was moved to the 9th District and the existing 8th District was abolished due to a new congressional apportionment. He ran against Assemblyman Steve Rothman in a Democratic primary to represent the newly redrawn 9th District, edging out his counterpart in a closely contested race. In the general election, Pascrell defeated Republican nominee Rabbi Shumley Boteach.
He survived a close re-election in 2022, defeating Republican Billy Prempeh in his redrawn district. And despite rumors of his retirement, Pascrell was set to face Prempeh in a rematch this fall before his death.
In the House of Representatives, Pascrell was one of the founding members of the Homeland Security Committee after the September 11 attacks and became the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness. He also served on the House Transportation Committee, securing funding for roads and transportation in the heavily trafficked Garden State.
He always dreamed of becoming governor, but he never saw the right opportunity. “I never gave up my hope of being a left fielder for the Yankees,” Pascrell, a diehard baseball fan, said in 2013.
“And if you look at my career, I’ve always come out of nowhere to win,” he added.
Now it’s up to Democratic leaders in his district, which includes parts of Passaic, Bergen and Hudson counties, to choose a successor for the next two-year term on the November ballot. They have until August 29 to make their choice.
It’s unclear what will happen to the remainder of his term, which ends in January. Gov. Phil Murphy has the option of calling a special election for the remainder of the term, as he did for Payne’s seat.
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Richard Cowen can be reached at [email protected].
