Rep. LaMonica McIver has won re-election to a second full term representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District, overcoming federal charges related to a confrontation with immigration officers last year. The Newark Democrat defeated Republican challenger Carmen Bucco in a rematch of their 2024 contest.
McIver secured approximately 86% of the vote, while Bucco garnered 13%, with about a third of ballots counted as of 8:30 p.m. EST. The victory comes despite a legal battle over an incident at the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in May 2025.
Prosecutors accused McIver, 40, of assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal officers during a protest outside the facility. McIver has denied wrongdoing, arguing that the prosecution infringes upon her constitutional protections for performing official duties. A federal appeals court allowed two counts against her to proceed in August, while a third count was sent back to a lower court for further review.
Her legal challenges continued even as she welcomed her second child, a baby girl, on Oct. 1.
McIver first entered Congress in 2024 following the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ). She previously served six years on Newark's Municipal Council, including two years as its president.
Bucco, a small-business owner from Kenilworth, has served on the Belleville Board of Education and previously made two runs for Congress. His platform focused on supporting law enforcement, public safety, and government anti-corruption measures.
McIver's win adds to a history of federal lawmakers facing criminal charges while in office. Notable examples include former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was convicted of federal corruption charges in July 2024 and sentenced to 11 years in prison, and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who faced federal bribery and foreign-influence charges before receiving a pardon from President Trump in December 2025.