SUBJECT-11124.dossier · person · status: active
BC
subject of file

Bonnie Watson Coleman

US Representative (D-NJ-12)
Tracked because Sitting member of the House; tracked for votes, donor mapping, and committee oversight.
Editorial summary · AI-drafted from public records

Bonnie Watson Coleman is the Democratic U.S. Representative (NJ's 12th congressional district). The platform has 10 voting records on file (2018-2025) and 45 verified facts on file covering this member's voting positions, financial disclosures, and stated platform commitments.

Facts on record40
Connections mapped5
Sources cited24
Evidence: 25P+17 15S+7
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Stated vs Revealed
No documented contradictions on file.
[PUBLIC COST ESTIMATE]
Documented financial relationships span 0 money flow chains, while 4 elected officials hold documented connections.
0Money Chains
0Traced Hops
Connected Officials
Calculation Methodology

Contract values are summed from documented money flow chains where this entity appears as a source or destination node. Amounts are drawn from USASpending.gov, FEC filings, SEC EDGAR, or LD-2 lobbying registrations.

Donor contributions aggregate documented amounts from the donor_interests table, sourced from FEC individual and PAC contribution filings.

Connected officials are elected officials in our database with a mapped relationship (lobbying, board membership, campaign contribution, etc.) to this entity.

Annualised flow represents the total documented dollar amount traced through money flow hops involving this entity. Where hop-level amounts are unavailable, the chain-level documented total is used as a conservative upper bound.

All figures are drawn from public filings. Estimates are conservative — undisclosed transactions, dark money, and vanish-point hops are excluded from totals. This is a minimum documented floor, not a ceiling.

PATTERN organization → [donor] → person → [colleague] → person 10192× PATTERN organization → [donor] → person → [vote alignment] → person 602× PATTERN organization → [donor] → person → [vote divergence] → person 489× PATTERN person → [oversight] → institution → [affiliation] → person 350× PATTERN elected official → [donor] → person → [colleague] → person 240×
TIMELINE Role Overlap Visualizer →
Connection Map
Key Connections
→ Herbert C. Conaway person
vote_alignment
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act); all New Jersey Democrats voted against the bill except Rep. Conaway, creating a divergence in their votes.
→ US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) institution
affiliation
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act), which would have mandated ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of theft offenses, opposing mandatory ICE detention policies.
→ Henry Cuellar person
vote_divergence
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 21 (Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act); Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat to vote for the bill, showing a policy divergence between the two Democrats.
← Nellie Pou person
colleague
Pou declined to label Israel's actions as 'genocide' or 'war crimes,' while fellow NJ Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman used both terms — highlighting a policy distinction between the two.
Facts (40)
Data Freshness
Ageing Last update: 173d ago · Avg age: 195d
Confidence Tiers: Primary Source — cross-referenced government/corporate filings Pending Review — sourced but not independently verified AI Inference — analytical hypothesis from cross-referencing
✓ Verified Findings (40)
Independently re-checked: a second model read the source artifact and confirmed it supports the extracted claim.
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Poverty rate: 6.3%
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Homeownership rate: 66.1%
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Bachelor's degree or higher: 48.8%
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Population: 778,950
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median household income: $113,235
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey Ballot Question — Bail Reform Constitutional Amendment (2022) — passed, margin 62% yes to 38% no
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey Ballot Question — Constitutional Amendment to Dedicate Funds for Open Space Preservation (2022) — passed, margin 64.6% yes to 35.4% no
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: New Jersey Public Question 1 — Legalize Recreational Marijuana (Constitutional Amendment) (2020) — passed, margin 67% yes to 33% no
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 44-45 (share 0.12)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 61 (share 0.14)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 62 (share 0.17)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Bristol-Myers Squibb (Princeton area campus) (4000 employees)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Princeton University (6500 employees)
✓ verified Partially Corroborated [constituency_baseline] Top employer: Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, just outside district boundary, but major employer for district residents) (15000 employees)
✓ verified Pending Review [constituency_baseline] District summary: New Jersey's 12th Congressional District covers portions of Mercer, Somerset, Union, and Middlesex counties in central New Jersey. It includes Princeton, Trenton, Plainfield, Ewing, South Brunswick, and Franklin Township. The district is 97.6% urban and known for its concentration of research and educational institutions including Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey, as well as pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb. It is a majority-minority district (39.8% White, 21.5% Hispanic, 19.4% Asian, 15.6% Black) with a highly educated population—48.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. With a Cook PVI of D+12 to D+25, it is one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the nation.
Added: 27 Apr 2026
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 1 / One Big Beautiful Bill Act (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) on 2025-07-03: Opposed Trump's signature tax and spending bill. Called it the 'Big Ugly Bill' and stated: 'I am appalled at the cruelty on display'—noting it would strip health insurance from approximately 320,000 New Jersey residents and 'threatens healthcare for seniors and children, strips food assistance from millions, slashes student loan protections.' All NJ Democrats voted no; bill passed 218-214.
Date: 2025-07-03 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 1 (119th)
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 21 (Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act) on 2025-01-23: Opposed legislation establishing criminal penalties for healthcare practitioners after failed abortions. Henry Cuellar of Texas was the only Democrat to vote for the bill (passed 217-211). Consistent with her 100% NARAL/Planned Parenthood record.
Date: 2025-01-23 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 21
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 22 (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act) on 2025-04-10: Voted against legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. Called it 'a voter suppression bill that will cause an untold number of eligible voters to be purged from voter rolls'—consistent with her House Appropriations Committee advocacy for voting rights.
Date: 2025-04-10 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 22
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act) on 2025-01-07: One of 159 House Democrats to oppose mandatory ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of theft offenses. All New Jersey Democrats voted against the bill except Rep. Conaway.
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 8034 (Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024) on 2024-04-20: The only New Jersey House member to vote against the $26 billion Israel military aid package, citing the 'seemingly indiscriminate bombing' that has killed 'over 34,000 innocent civilians, including 13,000 children.' Voted for the three other foreign aid bills the same day.
Date: 2024-04-20 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R.8035
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.Res. 798 (Resolution Condemning Support for Hamas and Antisemitism on College Campuses) on 2023-11-02: One of only 23 House members to vote against the resolution, and the only New Jersey Democrat. Stated that while 'rising antisemitism on college campuses is appalling,' the resolution contained significant factual errors, including mislabeling the Brandeis student senate as perpetrators. Drew sharp criticism from Republican opponent Darius Mayfield and became a flashpoint in the 2024 primary.
Date: 2023-11-02 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.Res. 798
✓ verified Primary Source Voted yea on H.R. 8404 (Respect for Marriage Act) on 2022-12-08: Voted to codify federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages, stating it would officially repeal the 'defunct and discriminatory' Defense of Marriage Act.
Date: 2022-12-08 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 8404
✓ verified Primary Source Voted nay on H.R. 4909 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) on 2018-03-14: One of only 10 House members to oppose the school safety bill. Declared school violence a 'top priority' but argued the bill lacked gun safety provisions and other critical protections—a highly visible vote that drew Republican campaign attacks and coverage in the NJ press.
Date: 2018-03-14 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R. 4909
✓ verified Primary Source Voted yea on H.R. 3684 (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) on 2021-11-05: Voted for $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, calling it a 'once-in-a-generation investment'—and had worked as a Progressive Caucus leader to hold the infrastructure vote until the Build Back Better framework was secured.
Date: 2021-11-05 Added: 27 Apr 2026 ↗ SOURCE: Roll call: H.R.3684
✓ verified Primary Source Voted yea on H.R. 1319 (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) on 2021-02-27: Supported $1.9 trillion COVID relief delivering $1,400 stimulus checks, expanded child tax credits, and over $300 million to school districts in her 12th District—and later pushed for $2,000 monthly recurring stimulus payments.
✓ verified Primary Source [vote] Watson Coleman voted nay on the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8034) on the same day, the only New Jersey House member to do so. She stated she 'could not in good conscience vote to send further offensive weapons to the far-right Netanyahu government.'
✓ verified Primary Source [vote] Watson Coleman voted in favor of three foreign aid bills on April 20, 2024: Ukraine aid (H.R. 8035), Indo-Pacific aid (H.R. 8036), and Iran/Russia sanctions. She stated she 'has historically supported funding for Israel's defensive capabilities such as the Iron Dome.'
✓ verified Primary Source [vote] Watson Coleman voted nay on the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 (H.R. 4909), which passed 407-10. She was one of only 10 House members to oppose it, citing that it 'lacks a number of critical protections.'
✓ verified Primary Source [statement] Watson Coleman stated on the House floor in 2018: 'Addressing school violence is a top priority for me.'
✓ verified Primary Source [platform] Watson Coleman is a steadfast advocate for comprehensive sex education and reproductive rights. On her official House website, she argues that funding 'proven HIV/AIDS prevention' is far more effective than 'continuing a failed abstinence-only education policy.' She is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and has a lifetime 100% NARAL rating.
✓ verified Primary Source [vote] Watson Coleman voted yea on H.R. 748, the CARES Act, a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that included a $40 million provision to fund abstinence-only sex education under Title V, a rider inserted by Senate Republicans.
✓ verified Primary Source Watson Coleman is the first African-American woman to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives and retired from Congress effective at the end of the 119th Congress (November 2025 announcement).
✓ verified Primary Source In the 2024 cycle, Watson Coleman raised $732,249.79 with top industries being Pharmaceuticals/Health Products ($100,285), Health Professionals ($45,968), and Building Trade Unions ($42,000).
✓ verified Primary Source JStreetPAC contributed $55,056 ($45,556 individual + $9,500 PAC) over the 2013–2024 cycle.
✓ verified Primary Source Lawyers and law firms contributed $326,299, with $254,349 from individuals and $71,950 from PACs.
✓ verified Primary Source Johnson & Johnson contributed $10,500 in the 2024 cycle, all from its PAC. Bristol-Myers Squibb contributed $7,525 ($25 individual + $7,500 PAC). AbbVie contributed $10,000, all from its PAC. Otsuka America contributed $10,000, all from its PAC. These pharma companies are major employers in New Jersey's 12th District.
✓ verified Primary Source Building trade unions contributed $277,998, overwhelmingly from PACs ($275,300). Public sector unions contributed $261,775, mostly from PACs ($257,000).
✓ verified Primary Source Princeton University was the single largest organizational contributor at $79,817, all from individuals.
✓ verified Primary Source The Pharmaceuticals/Health Products industry was the top contributing industry at $397,839, overwhelmingly from PACs ($340,500) versus individuals ($57,339).
✓ verified Primary Source Bonnie Watson Coleman's campaign committee raised $5,842,229 across her career (2013–2024), with $189,021 cash on hand as of June 30, 2024.
All Connections (5)
→ Herbert C. Conaway person
vote_alignment primary since 2025
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act); all New Jersey Democrats voted against the bill except Rep. Conaway, creating a divergence in their votes.
affiliation primary since 2025
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act), which would have mandated ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of theft offenses, opposing mandatory ICE detention policies.
→ Henry Cuellar person
vote_divergence primary since 2025
Watson Coleman voted nay on H.R. 21 (Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act); Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat to vote for the bill, showing a policy divergence between the two Democrats.
→ Elise Stefanik elected official
same_entity inferential since 2025
Bonnie Watson Coleman and Elise Stefanik are both listed in the known entities database as individual members of the U.S. House of Representatives, but no direct documented connection between them is provided in the facts.
← Nellie Pou person
colleague primary since 2025
Pou declined to label Israel's actions as 'genocide' or 'war crimes,' while fellow NJ Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman used both terms — highlighting a policy distinction between the two.
Sources (24)
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Bonnie Watson Coleman — Court records (no results) court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Bonnie Watson Coleman — Parliamentary records (no results) parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Bonnie Watson Coleman — SEC filings (no results) sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Bonnie Watson Coleman — Lobbying disclosures (no results) government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Bonnie Watson Coleman — FEC donations (no results) fec_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2025-01-29 ↗ Comparative voting analysis of the 119th Congress. web_search Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Ballotpedia and iVoterGuide legislative records. web_search Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Constituency baseline: Demographic anchor congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Constituency baseline: Ballot measure congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Constituency baseline: Ballot measure discovery_scope_note Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Constituency baseline: Top employer discovery_scope_note Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Roll call: H.R. 22 congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Roll call: H.Res. 798 discovery_scope_note Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Roll call: H.R. 4909 congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Watson Coleman voted in favor of three foreign aid bills on April 20, 202… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Watson Coleman voted nay on the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 (H.R. 49… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Watson Coleman stated on the House floor in 2018: 'Addressing school viol… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Watson Coleman is a steadfast advocate for comprehensive sex education an… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Claim: Watson Coleman voted yea on H.R. 748, the CARES Act, a $2 trillion corona… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: Watson Coleman is the first African-American woman to re… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: In the 2024 cycle, Watson Coleman raised $732,249.79 wit… congress_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: Johnson & Johnson contributed $10,500 in the 2024 cycle,… discovery_scope_note Processed 📜 Receipt
— ↗ Donor mapping evidence: Bonnie Watson Coleman's campaign committee raised $5,842… discovery_scope_note Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-04-23 UNVERIFIED SEARCH_ERROR: Bonnie Watson Coleman not found in fec claim_flag Processed 📜 Receipt