state and federal leaders continue to mourn the death of Congressman Donald Payne Jr the 65-year-old from Essex County died on Wednesday after suffering from a cardiac episode nearly three weeks ago that left him hospitalized and in a coma the six-term Democrat from Newark represented New Jersey's 10th congressional district since 2013 succeeding his late father who held the seat for nearly a quarter Century Payne's colleagues are remembering him as a dedicated public servant with a Dapper sense of style always wearing his signature bow tie and matching glasses he was beloved by fellow members of Congress including representative Bonnie Watson Coleman who worked alongside pay for 10 years and in a statement yesterday said she loved him like a brother she joins me now congresswoman before we start I just want to extend my condolences to you I know you had such a dear relationship yesterday you even wrote that he called you a sister mother were you close right off the bat how did you come to have that type of relationship with Donald Payne well we were the two African-American members of the delegation the state of New Jersey our fathers knew one another and worked very closely together and that certainly was a you know a beginning for us to uh jump off into a relationship and we liked each other um we just immediately liked each other and trusted one another and recognized that we kind of share the same Legacy of service and expectation on our part and so Donald and I just became as he said sister mother relationship sister when we were working together and mother when I was bugging him about doing something for himself yeah I mean you mentioned about your your life of Public Service you both came from trailblazing fathers um families who really dedicated themselves to public service and like his father Donald Payne worked in his congressional seat up until his last moments what do you feel uh will be his legacy a commitment to uh his constituents working to uh further educate people on the impact of colar rectal cancer which is Daddy um succumbed to uh worked on making sure that the Northeast CED Transportation network was supported Donald worked on um policies that advanced equity and everything and he loved his constituency so much that he probably did one more one minutes on the floor taking recognizing the heroes in his community than any other member and we used to tease him because in on the floor there's a a a a seat that you put something in that seat to show that you're going to do your one minute and every time anybody would go by that seat oh Donald's got that seat already he always wanted to make sure that he like highlighted the good things and the good people of of his district he played such a role both uh in the black Congressional caucus but also as representing New Jersey and and how that leaves a hole now for the representation of his constituents but of of black Americans in New Jersey well it's a big loss it's a big loss to the state of New Jersey it's a big loss to constituents who happen to be black and to citizens who happen to be black but it is a big loss to constituents across the state of New Jersey Donald obviously you know represented himself as a black man but the issues that he pursued were um the better me for all people um there was there was no animus in and and Donald there was no bias there was no Prejudice Donald wanted to do good work and Donald did good work and you know it is just hard to me to imagine that I'm not going to see that face I'm not going to see that that Dapper Dan with his eyeglasses to match every suit that he had and every bow tie I'm not going to see that smile I'm not going to be able to like joke with my friend this is heartbreaking it's heartbreaking for all the members of the Congressional Black Caucus but it's heartbreaking for the members of of Congress that had the blessing and opportunity to work with yeah for sure he's been a pillar in New Jersey um as well as in Congress congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman thank you for sharing those dear words about your friend Brianna thank you and I just want everyone to keep his family in prayer I know where Donald's soul is it is at rest and he is not suffering but I need his family to know that we love them and we hold them up in prayer [Music]