Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver cruised to a second full term representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District Tuesday, despite facing federal criminal charges over a confrontation with immigration officers last year — and giving birth to her second child just weeks before Election Day.
The Newark Democrat defeated Republican challenger Carmen Bucco in a rematch of their 2024 contest in the heavily Democratic district.
McIver garnered about 86% of the vote to Bucco’s 13% with about a third of the ballots counted as of 8:30 pm EST.
McIver, 40, has been fighting to avoid trial over an encounter with federal officers at the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in May 2025.
The congresswoman and two other Democratic lawmakers were visiting the facility for an oversight inspection when a protest erupted outside. Prosecutors accused McIver of assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering with federal officers.
McIver has denied wrongdoing and argued that her prosecution violates constitutional protections for lawmakers performing their official duties.
A federal appeals court in August allowed two counts against her to proceed while sending a third back to a lower court for further review. She subsequently asked the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling.
The legal battle continued as McIver welcomed her second child, a baby girl, on Oct. 1.
McIver entered Congress in 2024 following the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ). She previously spent six year’s on Newark’s Municipal Council, the last two as its president.
Bucco, a small-business owner from Kenilworth, has sat on the Belleville Board of Education in addition to making two runs for Congress. The Republican, who grew up in foster care, has highlighted support for law enforcement, public safety and eliminating government corruption.
McIver’s victory adds another chapter to the history of federal lawmakers who have faced criminal charges while serving in Congress.
Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the onetime chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was convicted in July 2024 of all 16 counts in a federal corruption case involving bribery, fraud and acting as a foreign agent.
Prosecutors said Menendez accepted cash, gold bars and other valuables in exchange for political favors. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in January 2025.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, (D-Texas) also faced federal bribery and foreign-influence charges alongside his wife after prosecutors alleged they accepted approximately $600,000 from foreign entities in exchange for official acts. Both denied wrongdoing and President Trump granted the couple full, unconditional pardons in December 2025, 13 months after Cuellar won an 11th House term.
