N.J. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver dies after sudden hospitalization

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver died after being hospitalized this week for an undisclosed medical issue, her family said Tuesday.

Oliver, 71, had been tasked with serving as acting governor while Gov. Phil Murphy was out of the country at his vacation home in Italy.

Yet she was taken to the hospital Monday and died the next day.

“As we come to terms with this profound loss, we kindly request that you respect the privacy of the Oliver family during this difficult time as they grieve their beloved Sheila,” the Oliver family said in a formal statement. “Sheila Y. Oliver leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service and inspiration. We will remember her commitment to the people of New Jersey and her tireless efforts to uplift the community.”

Mr. Murphy hailed Ms. Oliver, a fellow Democrat, as a pioneer in New Jersey politics and an advocate for affordable housing obligations and homelessness prevention.

“When I selected her to be my running mate in 2017, Lieutenant Governor Oliver was already a trailblazer in every sense of the word,” Mr. Murphy said. “She had already made history as the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the General Assembly and just the second Black woman in the nation’s history to lead a house of a state legislature. I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the state of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Ms. Oliver was the second lieutenant governor in New Jersey after the post was created in 2010.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a Democrat, is serving as acting governor in Ms. Oliver’s place until Mr. Murphy’s return.