Bonnie Watson Coleman

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. In 1980, she joined the Department of Community Affairs first as bureau chief before being promoted to assistant commissioner. In this position, she was responsible for the aging, community resources, public guardian, and women divisions. In 1985, she received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College after briefly attending Rutgers University.

In 1994, she joined her father, John S. Watson, a representative in the New Jersey General Assembly for six terms, in establishing a human resources development firm. However, the partnership was short-lived, as he died in 1996.

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.

She has received honorary doctorate degrees from the College of New Jersey, Rider University, and Stockton University.

In 1998, incumbent Representative Shirley Turner of the 15th district decided to run for the New Jersey Senate. Being the same district her father represented, Watson Coleman joined the race. She and Democrat Reed Gusciora won the election against two Republican candidates. She served the district until 2015, representing Trenton and parts of Mercer and Hunterdon counties. She later became the first African American woman to lead the state party when she was elected chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee on February 4, 2002, serving until 2006. Watson Coleman served as Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006 to 2010.

Her legislative achievements in the assembly include increasing the minimum wage, the Paid Family Leave Act, creating the Office of the Comptroller, and expanding Urban Enterprise Zones. She took an active role in identity theft protection and criminal justice reform to reduce recidivism.

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 Governor Chris Christie to resign.

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. Several other candidates joined the primary, including senator Linda Greenstein, assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, and resident Andrew Zwicker. The primary was considered competitive between Greenstein and Watson Coleman, with each picking up key local endorsements. On June 3, Watson Coleman won the Democratic primary with 43% of the vote. With 60.9% of the vote, she defeated Republican nominee Alieta Eck and several third party candidates in the November 4 general election 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.

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. She won the primary with 93.6% of the vote. In the general election, she defeated Republican meat wholesaler Steven Uccio with 62.9% of the vote. Watson Coleman spent $630,000 in the race, while Uccio spent none.

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. Watson Coleman spent around $828,000 while Kipnis spent around $23,000.

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. Watson Coleman later thanked the secretary of state for referring the candidates to the attorney general's office for investigation. She easily won the general election against Republican Mark Razzoli, an Old Bridge Township councilman with 65% of the vote. Watson Coleman spent around $819,000 while Razzoli only spent around $1,100.

In the 2022 primary, she ran uncontested. She defeated Republican Darius Mayfield with 63% of the vote in the general election. …

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. She is Baptist and resides in Ewing Township.

Two of Watson Coleman's 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. An enacted New Jersey law sponsored by Watson Coleman bars employers with more than 15 employees from asking job applicants if they have criminal histories. 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".

In the summer of 2018, Watson Coleman underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Watson Coleman tested positive for COVID-19 on January 11, 2021. She underwent back surgery to treat lumbar spinal stenosis in June 2024.