Shavonda E. Sumter
{{short description|Member of the New Jersey General Assembly}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Shavonda Sumter
|image = Shavonda E. Sumter (cropped).jpg
|state_assembly = New Jersey
|district = 35th
|alongside = Al Abdelaziz
|term_start = January 10, 2012
|term_end =
|predecessor = {{unbulleted list|Elease Evans|Nellie Pou}}
|successor =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|1|19}}
|birth_place = Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse = Kenneth Sumter
|children = 2
|education = Kean University {{small|(BA)}}
Fairleigh Dickinson University
{{small|(MBA)}}
|website = [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/346/assemblywoman-sumter State Assembly website]
}}
Shavonda E. Sumter (born January 19, 1974) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 35th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in January 2012.
In February 2025, Sumter announced that she would not be running in the 2025 New Jersey General Assembly election.Malinconico, Joe. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2025/02/18/shavonda-sumter-wont-run-nj-assembly-seat-passaic-county/79103251007/ "In surprise move, Shavonda Sumter won't run again for Assembly seat in Passaic County"], Paterson Press, February 18, 2025. Accessed February 18, 2025. "Shavonda Sumter, who has served in the New Jersey Assembly since 2012, announced Tuesday that she won’t be running for reelection this year, a decision made a month after she fell short in getting picked to fill a vacant state Senate seat."
Personal
Sumter was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the daughter of Charles and Bonnie Williams. She attended public and private schools in Paterson, Prospect Park, and Haledon. She graduated from Kean University in 1996 with a B.A. degree in political science. She earned an M.B.A. degree in health care administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Sumter has worked in health services and currently serves as director of behavioral health services at Mountainside Medical Center in Glen Ridge.{{cite web |url=http://www.sumter4assembly.org/about.html |title=Meet Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter |publisher=Shavonda Sumter for Assembly |access-date=September 24, 2015}}
Sumter has served on the New Jersey Democratic State Committee since 2008. She was one of the members of the electoral college who cast a ballot for Barack Obama and Joe Biden after the 2008 presidential election.{{cite web|url=https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008-certificates/index.html#nj |title=U. S. Electoral College 2008 Election - Certificates |publisher=Archives.gov |access-date=September 24, 2015}} In 2010, Sumter was the campaign manager for Jeffery Jones in his successful campaign for Mayor of Paterson.
As of September 2016, Sumter was considering a run for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2017, and was also considered the leading candidate for selection as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor.{{Cite web|url=http://observer.com/2016/09/the-battle-of-fort-sumter-top-tier-gubernatorial-candidates-share-a-common-lg-play/|title=The Battle of Fort Sumter: Top-Tier Gubernatorial Candidates Share a Common LG Play|website=The New York Observer|date=11 September 2016}} However, the eventual Democratic nominee for governor, Phil Murphy, chose Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver as his running mate.
In 2024, following the death of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Sumter briefly campaigned to be the replacement Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives election for New Jersey's 9th congressional district, but eventually withdrew.[https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/sumter-drops-out-of-nj-9-race/ Sumter drops out of NJ-9 race], New Jersey Globe, Aug. 27, 2024
A resident of North Haledon, she is married to Kenneth Sumter and has two children: Tyler (1998) and Kenneth Jr. (2000)
New Jersey General Assembly
In the 2011 New Jersey General Assembly election, there were two open Assembly seats in the 35th District, after Nellie Pou decided to run for the State Senate and Elease Evans retired. Sumter and her running mate, Benjie E. Wimberly, defeated the Republican candidates, William Connolly and Donna Puglisi. She was sworn in on January 10, 2012.{{cite news |title=Turnover in N.J. Legislature is slight |url=http://www.app.com/article/20120110/NJNEWS1002/301100014/Turnover-N-J-Legislature-slight |newspaper=Asbury Park Press |date=2012-01-10 |access-date=2012-02-05 |url-access=subscription }} She held the leadership positions in the Assembly of Majority Conference Leader from 2015 to 2019 and was Deputy Speaker from 2014 to 2015.
= Committees =
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/346/assemblywoman-sumter Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter (D)], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2024.
- Community Development and Women's Affairs (as chair)
- Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste (as vice-chair)
- Labor
= District 35 =
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/constitution New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022. The representatives from the 35th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=35 Legislative Roster for District 35], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 1, 2025.
- Senator Benjie Wimberly (D)
- Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz (D)
- Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter (D)
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change
|title = 35th Legislative District General Election, 2023{{Cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf |title=Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election |publisher=New Jersey Department of State |access-date=December 6, 2023}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Benjie Wimberly (incumbent)
| votes = 12,320
| percentage = 50.2
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Shavonda Sumter (incumbent)
| votes = 12,214
| percentage = 49.8
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 24,534
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
|title = 35th legislative district general election, 2021{{cite web |title=Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf |publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey |date=November 30, 2021 |access-date=December 12, 2021}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Benjie Wimberly (incumbent)
| votes = 20,276
| percentage = 34.56%
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Shavonda Sumter (incumbent)
| votes = 20,235
| percentage = 34.49%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Ramzy Yamisha
| votes = 9,166
| percentage = 15.62%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Iman Majagah
| votes = 8,990
| percentage = 15.32%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 58,667
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
| loser = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = 35th Legislative District General Election, 2019
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Benjie Wimberly (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 13,213
| percentage = 43.61%
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Shavonda Sumter (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 13,173
| percentage = 43.48%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Tamer Mamkej
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 3,909
| percentage = 12.9%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 30,295
| percentage = 100%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/346/assemblywoman-sumter Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter's legislative web page], New Jersey Legislature
- [https://shavondasumter.com/ www.ShavondaSumter.com]
- https://twitter.com/aswsumter
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-nj-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Elease Evans|before2=Nellie Pou}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 35th district|years=2012–present|alongside=Benjie E. Wimberly, Al Abdelaziz}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{New Jersey General Assembly}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumter, Shavonda E.}}
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:20th-century African-American women politicians
Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:2008 United States presidential electors
Category:African-American state legislators in New Jersey
Category:21st-century African-American women politicians
Category:American hospital administrators
Category:Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Category:Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni
Category:Kean University alumni
Category:Politicians from Paterson, New Jersey