New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, the first Black woman in the state’s history to hold statewide office, has died. She was 71. Oliver’s family announced her death Tuesday, one day after she was hospitalized while acting as governor with Phil Murphy on vacation. Her cause of death was not revealed. “It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the .
Ms. Oliver, 71, was taken to the hospital on Monday. She had been serving as governor while Gov. Philip D. Murphy was out of state, vacationing in Italy.