- New Jersey Democratic Representative Donald Payne suffered a heart attack on April 6.
- He had been receiving treatment at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
- Payne never woke up after suffering the cardiac event
New Jersey Democratic Representative Donald Payne Jr. has died at the age of 65.
Payne suffered a heart attack on April 6 and has since been in an intubated coma at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, according to the New Jersey Globe.
He had struggled with health problems in the past, such as diabetes and liver problems.
His office had previously mentioned that Payne was recovering after suffering a heart attack in early April.
A spokesperson for his office said in an April 17 statement: “Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. suffered a cardiac episode due to complications from his diabetes last week.”
The statement went on to say that Payne was “in stable condition at a local hospital and remains under medical care.”
Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., was reportedly in a coma since suffering a heart attack on April 6.
Payne had represented New Jersey’s 10th congressional district since 2012.
Payne was a five-term Democrat and was first elected in 2012 following the death of his father Donald Payne Sr.
The elder Payne held the position now held by his son from 1989 until his death in 2012.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy posted on
“Our deepest prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
Payne’s death further complicates the closely divided balance of power in the House of Representatives.
Over the weekend, former Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher left Congress after casting his final vote on Saturday.
As things stand after Payne’s death, there are 217 Republicans and 212 Democrats and six vacancies in the House.
This means that if three Republicans vote with Democrats, the vote would be 215 to 215, and a tie would result in a loss for either measure.
More to come.