Watson Coleman, Bonnie, 1945-

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Bonnie Watson Coleman is serving her fourth term in the United States House of Representatives, the continuation of a career in public service advocating for the needs of New Jersey families and the equitable treatment of all people. The first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress, Watson Coleman is a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, and serves as Vice Chair at Large of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.</p>

<p>Watson Coleman’s work in the House centers on her belief that, in the United States of America, there’s a floor below which we should never allow any child, any family, any person to fall. Knowing that millions struggle every day just to make ends meet from the first to the last of the month, her legislative work seeks to bridge the gap for these Americans, making sure that the richest nation in the world doesn’t allow millions to live below the poverty line; doesn’t allow vulnerable groups to suffer the fallout of environmental violations; doesn’t allow profit margins to define the standards or the motivations for incarceration; and doesn’t allow bias to push everyday needs like car insurance out of reach for working families.</p>

<p>Bonnie M. Watson Coleman (born February 6, 1945) is an American politician. She has served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district since 2015. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Watson Coleman previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly, from 1998 to 2015 for the 15th Legislative District. She is the first African-American woman to represent New Jersey in Congress.</p>

<p>Watson Coleman was born in Camden, New Jersey. Her father John S. Watson served six terms in the New Jersey legislature. She graduated from Ewing High School. She received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College in 1985 after briefly attending Rutgers University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Raised Baptist, she currently resides in Ewing Township.</p>

WATSON COLEMAN, Bonnie, a Representative from New Jersey; born in Camden, Camden County, N.J., February 6, 1945; B.A., Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, N.J., 1985; member of the New Jersey state assembly, 1998-2014, majority leader, 2006-2009; member, New Jersey state democratic committee, 2002-2006; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fourteenth and to the three succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2015-present).