VIDEO: Sen. Nia Gill's Fiery Concession Speech

Senator Nia Gill from Montclair might not have won the Democratic nomination in 10^th Congressional District race on Tuesday night, but she gave a powerful concession speech.

“We ran a good campaign, based on issues,” she began, amidst cheers from supporters at her Bloomfield Avenue campaign headquarters. “Of course we will honor the vote of the people [but] I still think it is necessary to have run this race, even though the power structure was aligned against me." 

Gill was referring to the Essex County Democratic Party’s backing of Donald Payne Jr., son of the late Rep. Donald Payne, who won the nomination by an overwhelming majority of 32,582 votes.  Runner-up Ron Rice earned 10,707 votes, followed by Gill, who won in Hudson County but only garnered 9,313 votes total.

"I think it was decided by a legacy of name,” she told Patch, “that a seat belongs to a person based upon their father's name, and that was pretty much the outcome of this case.  But we can't just say, ‘we're overpowered so we're going to sit in the corner and not take a chance’."

Despite the disappointment in the room, Gill’s fiery concession speech gave her supporters something to cheer about.

“It would have been so much easier to be the safe senator from Montclair.  But we cannot grow as women and be empowered as a community unless we are willing to step outside our comfort zone and take whatever comes and put up a good fight.  I may not have won this time but I made it better for a woman to run next time."

Had Gill won, she would have been the first African-American woman — and the only woman in nearly a decade — to be a member of the state’s congressional delegation.

“I will continue to fight in the Senate,” she vowed.  “I will continue to stand up against Chris Christie as he undercuts the middle class!  I will continue to cast a no vote if a Superior Court nominee is not qualified.

"I gave it the best that I could, against all odds.  And still I rise!  We put up a good fight.  We put up an honorable fight."