Health Issues May Cause Sen. Cunningham Of Jersey City To Leave Politics: Reports

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Two news outlets said this week that the political career of State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, who represents Bayonne and most of Jersey City, may be winding down. But it's unclear how soon that will happen.

The New Jersey Globe, in a detailed report citing anonymous sources, said that Cunningham has been hospitalized for 56 days, and may never return to the state Senate.

Cunningham, a Democrat, is the State Senate President Pro Tempore.

NJ.com published a story Tuesday saying that Cunningham probably won't run for re-election in November 2023 due to "health issues," also citing an anonymous source. However, they were unable to confirm the serious health matters cited by the Globe.

Cunningham, 72, has held the office for 15 years. The seat was once held by her late husband Glenn Cunningham, who became Jersey City mayor in 2001 and died of a heart attack while in office in 2004.

When asked by Patch on Wednesday whether Cunningham has been hospitalized for more than a month, and whether she would return, a spokesperson for the State Senate said, "We are declining to comment at this time."

During her career, Cunningham has been the primary sponsor of more than 80 bills on subjects ranging from simplifying college financial aid applications to limiting rent increases for nursing homes. Lately, many of her bills were designed to make higher education more accessible.

Last year, news outlets reported that a video of Cunningham showed her "swaying" following a DWI arrest. In the video police ask her if she had medical conditions. She was later found not guilty, with NJ.com reporting that she had prescription drugs in her system and no alcohol. She also pleaded guilty to a DWI in 2005 and received a fine.