Bill Pascrell, fiery New Jersey Rep., dies at 87

It’s the second time this year a sitting New Jersey lawmaker has died in office. William James Pascrell Jr. was born on Jan. 25, 1937, and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, the city founded by Alexander Hamilton that collapsed into poverty and violence with the end of industrialism. Mohamed T. Khairullah, New Jersey’s longest-serving Muslim mayor, ran against Pascrell in the June primary because of his resistance to a cease-fire and support for military aid to Israel. The former president was also a common punching bag for Pascrell, whose social media feed often skewered Trump’s policy record and served up regular reminders that he is a convicted felon. Two high-profile Democrats had made moves to run for Pascrell’s seat in this election but ultimately opted not to: Paterson Mayor André Sayegh and Assemblymember Shavonda Sumter, a Democrat from Paterson.