Tributes and condolences from Lieutenant Governor Oliver's colleagues and loved ones have been pouring in, including her longtime friend, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson.

Coleman, Oliver and Coleman served together in the Assembly for over a decade, but their close relationship dates back much further.

Representative Watson Coleman joins me now.

Congresswoman, thank you so much.

And our condolences to you.

Your relationship with Speaker Oliver dates back decades And I'm wondering today what you will remember most about your time serving the public together.

Thank you for your condolences.

I mean, it's really heartbreaking that we lose our friend at such a young age.

And such a vibrant, beautiful, authentic woman.

I think about the fact that we shared a lot of the same values.

We were concerned about the issues that affect our communities that have been under represented, whose voices have been marginalized or who just weren't even heard.

Whether or not it was that housing space or reentry space, the criminal justice reform space, whether or not it was children and families, we shared that.

And she was an advocate for all of New Jersey citizens, but particularly for those whose lives needed to be touched and lifted up by the resources that government would bring.

I mean, she did it admirably.

We we had the kind of relationship where we would just reach out and talk to one another.

Sometimes somebody would come as a result of that, and sometimes it would just be touching base to see how how we were doing.

But she was a really true public servant.

And I am blessed to have been able to call her my friend, to work with her in the legislature, to even have worked with her.

When I was in the executive branch and she was working for a nonprofit working on housing issues.

That's how far we go back.

You're both considered trailblazers in the state, and I wonder how that united you.

And what type of conversations you had about approaching those issues.

In what was and what still is a largely white male dominated political sphere here in New Jersey.

So when she was elected to the assembly, one-on-one greeted her even though I knew her already, we were friends.

I said, hey, welcome.

I'm glad to have you here because it's a little lonely here.

And we both kind of chuckle, but we recognize our responsibility.

We you know, we talked about the fact that there were not enough of us in this space that we needed to do whatever we could to ensure that the next generation was getting trained, that we were creating internships and opportunities And so we knew what our responsibility was to the job as well as to the next generation.

What do you want other young females and other young Black females to know about your friend, about your colleague, and the legacy that she will now leave?

I want them to recognize her authenticity, the fact that whatever she did, she worked hard to know what she was talking about.

She knew what she had to do.

She was always prepared and that she cared enough that even during some trying circumstances, whether health-wise or otherwise she would be there and she would continue in the fight, she would continue to elevate the issues, raised the concerns, and have the conversations and be in that space on behalf of others.

And so she's an example of who you can be and where you can be if you're willing to put in the time put in the effort, be committed, you know, be patient in some regards.

But but recognize that you need to be in this space so that people know that you're there Absolutely.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, again, we thank you.

And we offer our condolences.

Thank you.

My condolences to her family.

And God bless all of her friends, all of us, to collectively will remember her.

We will mourn her and we will be blessed that we had the opportunity to be with her.

Thank you, Congresswoman.