Bonnie Watson Coleman is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing New Jersey's 12th congressional district. She previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2015. Watson Coleman received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College and attended Rutgers University. She has held several positions in New Jersey state government, including serving as Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006 to 2010. Watson Coleman is the first black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress.

1. Bonnie Watson Coleman
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 12th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Member of the
New Jersey General Assembly
from the 15th Legislative District
In office
January 13, 1998 – January 5, 2015
New Jersey General Assembly Majority Leader
In office
January 12, 2006 – January 12, 2010
Preceded by Joseph J. Roberts
Succeeded by Joseph Cryan
Personal details
Born Bonnie Watson
February 6, 1945
Camden, New Jersey
Political
party
Democratic
Spouse(s) William Coleman (m. 1995)
Residence Ewing Township, New Jersey
Bonnie Watson Coleman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bonnie Watson Coleman (born February 6, 1945) is an
American Democratic Party politician, who has served as the
U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional
district since 2015. She previously served in the New Jersey
General Assembly from 1998 to 2015 for the 15th Legislative
District.[2] She is the first black woman in Congress from New
Jersey.[3]
Contents
1 Early life and career
2 U.S. House of Representatives
2.1 Election
2.2 Tenure
2.3 Committee assignments
2.4 Advocacy
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
Early life and career
Watson Coleman received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State
College in 1985, and attended Rutgers University.[2] Born in
Camden, she currently resides in Ewing Township.[4] She is a
member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[5]
In 1974, she established the first Office of Civil Rights,
Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action, in the New
Jersey Department of Transportation and remained the Director
of that office for six years. In 1980, Watson Coleman joined the
Department of Community Affairs, where she held a number of
positions including, Assistant Commissioner, responsible for
Aging, Community Resources, Public Guardian and Women
Divisions.
She served on the Governing Boards Association of State
Colleges from 1987 to 1998 and as its chair from 1991 to 1993.
Watson Coleman was a member of the Ewing Township
Planning Board from 1996 to 1997. She was 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.[2]
Bonnie Watson Coleman - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Watson_Coleman
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2. Religion Baptist[1]
Website [1] (http://www.assemblydems.com
/memberindex.asp?RosterKey=180)
In March 2000 Bonnie Watson's sons, William Carter-Watson
and Jared Coleman robbed a Kid-R-Us in Lawrence Township
with automatic weapons, stealing $1,800 and terrifying
employees by forcing them to lie face down on the floor. Both
William Carter-Watson and Jared Coleman pleaded guilty to
the charges, serving five and a half years in prison.[6]
Watson Coleman 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.
Watson Coleman served as the Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006 to 2010, as well
as the New Jersey Democratic State Chairwoman from 2002 to 2006.
U.S. House of Representatives
Election
Following the announcement that Congressman Rush Holt would not be seeking another term in office, Bonnie
Watson Coleman announced her intention to run for New Jersey's 12th congressional district.[7] Assemblywoman
Watson Coleman is the first woman of color elected to represent a New Jersey district in the United States House
of Representatives and is currently the only female member of New Jersey's congressional delegation.
On June 3, 2014, Watson Coleman won the Democratic primary for the 12th congressional district.[8]
Watson Coleman won the general election on November 4, 2014, defeating Republican candidate Alieta Eck.[9]
She won 60.9% of the vote.[10]
Tenure
On March 3, 2015, Coleman participated with fellow Democrats in the boycott of the speech delivered by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress.[11]
In March 2016, Coleman, along with Rep. Robin Kelly and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, founded the Congressional
Caucus on Black Women and Girls.[12] "Black women and girls are disproportionately affected by myriad
socioeconomic issues that diminish their quality of life and threaten the well-being of their families and
communities. The Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls gives black women a seat at the table for the
crucial discussion on the policies that impact them while also providing a framework for creating opportunities
and eliminating barriers to success for black women," they announced in a press release at the time.[13] They were
inspired by the #SheWoke Committee, a group of 7 activists that reached out to lawmakers and staffers to start
.[14]
She co-sponsored the International Megan's Law, to combat child exploitation and other sex crimes abroad.
President Barack Obama signed the bill into law in February 2016.[15]
Committee assignments
Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency (Ranking Member)
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3. Coleman speaking at the 2017
Women's March in Trenton, New
Jersey
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules
Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets
Advocacy
Watson Coleman has been a strong supporter of programs allowing
criminal offenders to reenter society. As a New Jersey Assemblywoman,
she sponsored a bill that bars companies with more than 15 employees
from conducting criminal background checks on candidates during the
interview process. Watson Coleman's two sons, William Carter-Watson
and Jared C. Coleman, were sentenced to seven years in jail after holding
up the Kids-R-Us store at Mercer Mall with an assault rifle as it was about
to close on March 12, 2001. Watson-Coleman refuses to discuss the
incident.[16] Watson Coleman has also introduced legislation to restrict the
ownership of weapons such as the ones used by her sons during their
crime.
See also
List of African-American United States Representatives
References
http://www.nationaljournal.com/almanac/2014-new-members/new-jersey-12-bonnie-watson-coleman-d-201411041.
Assemblywoman Watson Colemans's legislative web page (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=180),
New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 5, 2011.
2.
"2014: Not a Landmark Year for Women, Despite Some Notable Firsts" (http://cawp.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files
/resources/pressrelease_11-05-14-electionresults.pdf), Center for American Women and Politics, November 5, 2014.
Accessed November 5, 2016. "Love and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) are the first African American women in
Congress from their states."
3.
Assembly Member Bonnie Watson Coleman (http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=24799), Project Vote Smart.
Accessed August 10, 2007.
4.
Schaller, Thomas F.; King-Meadows, Tyson (2006). Devolution and Black state legislators : challenges and choices in
the twenty-first century. Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7914-6729-9.
5.
http://www.trentonian.com/article/TT/20160629/NEWS/1606297246.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/02
/assemblywoman_bonnie_watson_colemans_congressional_campaign_endorsed_by_top_mercer_county_officials.html
7.
Davis, Mike. "Watson Coleman wins Democratic primary for 12th congressional district". NJ.com. Retrieved 4 June
2014.
8.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/11
/next_step_mercer_and_hunterdon_democrats_to_find_assembly_replacement_for_watson_coleman_after_congr.html
9.
"New Jersey Election Results". New York Times.10.
"WHIP LIST: 56 Democrats to skip Netanyahu speech to Congress". The Hill. March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 4,
2015.
11.
Helm, Angela (March 26, 2016). "3 Black Congresswomen Create 1st Caucus on Black Women and Girls". The Root.12.
"Reps. Watson Coleman, Kelly, Clarke, Announce Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls". U.S.
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman.
13.
Grimaldi, Christine (April 29, 2016). "#SheWoke Fuels First Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls Event".
Rewire.
14.
"Congress.gov".15.
"Mercer County hires Bonnie Watson Coleman's son to entry-level parks position". NJ.com. Retrieved 2017-01-19.16.
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4. External links
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/) official U.S. House site
Bonnie Watson Coleman for Congress (http://www.bonnieforcongress.com/)
Biography (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000822) at the Biographical
Directory of the United States Congress
Profile (https://www.votesmart.org/candidate/24799) at Project Vote Smart
Financial information (federal office) (http://www.fec.gov/fecviewer
/CandidateCommitteeDetail.do?&tabIndex=1&candidateCommitteeId=H4NJ12149) at the Federal Election
Commission
Legislation sponsored (https://www.congress.gov/member/bonnie-watson-coleman/2259) at The Library of
Congress
Political offices
Preceded by
Joseph J. Roberts
Majority Leader of the New Jersey General
Assembly
2006 – 2010
Succeeded by
Joseph Cryan
Preceded by
Leonard Lance
Chair of the Assembly Appropriations
Committee
2002 – 2006
Succeeded by
Nellie Pou
Party political offices
Preceded by
Joseph J. Roberts
Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State
Committee
2002 – 2006
Succeeded by
Joseph Cryan
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 12th congressional district
January 3, 2015 – present
Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Mimi Walters
R-California
United States Representatives by seniority
370th
Succeeded by
Bruce Westerman
R-Arkansas
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bonnie_Watson_Coleman&oldid=770007282"
Categories: 1945 births African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in New Jersey African-American women in politics
Chairmen of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
Female members of the United States House of Representatives Living people
Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
Politicians from Camden, New Jersey People from Ewing Township, New Jersey Stockton University
Thomas Edison State College alumni Women state legislators in New Jersey
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5. 21st-century American politicians 21st-century women politicians
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