LaMonica McIver, the Newark city council president, won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to complete the unexpired term of Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., who died in April.

McIver had 46 percent of the vote in the 11-person primary contest when The Associated Press called the race a half hour after polls closed.

She will face Republican Carmen Bucco, a small-business owner who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in a Sept. 18 special election. McIver is the favorite to win the special election in the heavily Democratic 10th District. Payne won his 2022 election with 77.6 percent of the vote. 

Democratic Party leaders will choose a nominee for the November ballot for a full term that will begin in January. Payne was unopposed in the June primary and it was too late when he died to replace him. McIver could be a front-runner to replace him after her win on Tuesday. 

McIver was endorsed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy; Sen. Cory Booker; Payne’s uncle, former state Assemblyman William Payne; as well as the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She had raised the most of the candidates as of June 30, when she had $65,000 on hand. 

McIver was the youngest woman ever elected to the Newark city council in 2018. She also previously worked as personnel director for Montclair Public Schools and currently works as a public affairs manager with the power utility PSE&G, according to her campaign website.