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{{Short description|American politician (born 1946)}}
{{Infobox_Governor
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
|name= Richard Codey
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
|image= Codey.jpg
{{Infobox officeholder
|caption=
| name = Richard Codey
|order=53<sup>rd 1</sup>
| image = Codey2011 (cropped).jpg
|office= Governor of New Jersey
| caption = Codey in 2011
|term_start= ], ] <sup>1</sup>
| office1 = 53rd ]
|term_end= ], ]
| term_start1 = November 15, 2004
|lieutenant= <!--Codey had no Lt. Gov; the position was created Nov. 8, 2005, but will not be filled until ], ] -->
| term_end1 = January 17, 2006
|predecessor= ]
| predecessor1 = ]
|successor=]
| successor1 = ]
|birth_date= ], ]
| term_start2 = January 12, 2002
|birth_place= ]
| term_end2 = January 15, 2002<br>Acting
|death_date=
| predecessor2 = ] (acting)
|death_place=
| successor2 = Jim McGreevey
|spouse= ]
| state_senate3 = New Jersey
|profession= ]
| district3 = ]
|party= ]
| term_start3 = January 10, 1982
|footnotes= 1. As of ], ], New Jersey law states that an Acting Governor serving for 180 or more days is officially Governor. This applies retroactively to both Richard Codey and ].
| term_end3 = January 9, 2024
| predecessor3 = ]
| successor3 = ]
| office4 = 111th and 113th President of the ]
| term_start4 = January 8, 2008
| term_end4 = January 12, 2010
| predecessor4 = ]
| successor4 = ]
| term_start5 = January 8, 2002
| term_end5 = January 7, 2008 <br>{{small|Co-Presidency with ] until January 13, 2004}}
| predecessor5 = ]
| successor5 = ]
| office6 = Minority Leader of the ]
| term_start6 = January 13, 1998
| term_end6 = January 8, 2002
| predecessor6 = ]
| successor6 = ] <br>{{small|(2004)}}
| state_assembly7 = New Jersey
| district7 = ]
| term_start7 = January 8, 1974
| term_end7 = January 12, 1982
| predecessor7 = Constituency established
| successor7 = ]<br>]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|11|27}}
| birth_name = Richard James Codey
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = ]
| spouse = {{marriage|]|1981}}
| education = ] (])
}} }}
'''Richard James "Dick" Codey''' (born ], ]) is an ] ] ] in the ] of ]. He grew up in ] and graduated from ] in ]. He went on to take over his father's job as a licensed ]. Codey served as the ] ] of ] from the resignation of Governor ] on ], ] until the inauguration of ] on ], ]. Codey has been the ] President of the ] (the ] of the ]) since 2002, representing the ] which covers portions of ]. '''Richard James Codey''' (born November 27, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 53rd ] from 2004 to 2006. A member of the ], he served in the ] from 1982 to 2024 and as the President of the Senate from 2002 to 2010. He represented the ], which covered the western portions of ] and the southeastern portion of ].<!--BEFORE MODIFYING THE NUMBER OF TIMES CODEY HAS SERVED AS ACTING GOVERNOR, NOTE THE FOLLOWING: The above sentence lists only situations where Codey became acting governor due to a permanent gubernatorial vacancy, not when a sitting governor is out of state or temporarily unable to perform their duties as governor. For example, Richard Codey became acting governor on April 12, 2007, but would NOT be listed as another stint as acting governor unless Corzine were to have permanently left office. -->


Codey is the longest-serving state legislator in New Jersey history, having served in the ] continuously from January 8, 1974 to January 9, 2024.<ref>O'Neill, James M.; and Stile, Charles. , '']'', August 14, 2023. Accessed August 16, 2023. "Former governor and state Sen. Richard J. Codey, the longest-serving legislator in New Jersey history, who held the top post for a 14-month period, announced he will be stepping down after 50 years of service. He said he will finish out the Senate term this year and then retire."</ref>
==Political Biography==


==Early life==
Codey has served as a ] since 1982, and earlier as a member of the ], from 1974 to 1981. As Senate President, he also served as ] ] for three and one half days in January, 2002. Codey became Acting Governor again with the resignation of ] on ], ]. According to the ] at the time, in the event of a vacancy in the Governor's office, the President of the State Senate takes on the additional position of Acting Governor until the next gubernatorial election. After taking over in 2004 Codey became popular with many New Jersey residents and reportedly considered a run for a full four-year term. However, ] ]'s large number of endorsements as well as his large campaign war chest, funded primarily by his great personal wealth, convinced Codey to announce officially on ], ] that he would step aside. Codey served as Governor until Corzine was sworn in on ], ] following Corzine's victory in the ], ] ]. Some had speculated that Codey could be a possible candidate for Corzine's vacant seat in the ], with Corzine appointing his own successor once he is sworn in as Governor. However, Codey announced on ], ] that he was not interested in pursuing the Senate seat.
]]]
Codey grew up in his family's ] in ]. He attended ] and transferred to ], neither of them successfully, before switching to ] in ], from which he graduated.<ref>Codey, Richard J. , p. 28. Accessed December 3, 2017. "From Saint John's, I went to Our Lady of the Valley High School until my father and the priests agreed that my clowning might be better appreciated elsewhere. Throwing frogs around a biology class with some friends was my final act as a student at the Valley."</ref><ref>]. , '']'', November 14, 2004. Accessed January 24, 2022. "He is a graduate of Oratory Prep in Summit, and his wife, Mary Jo, attended Caldwell College and Seton Hall, all Catholic institutions."</ref><ref>Bergmann, Randy. , '']'', June 5, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2022, via ]. "He speaks with candor and humor about his academic shortcomings. He attended three high schools, all beginning with the letter 'O' Orange, Our Lady of the Valley and Oratory. (He says his father wanted him to be true to his Irish heritage.)"</ref> He went on to take over his father's job as a licensed ]. When his father, Donald, became the county ], Richard was drafted to help with death scene pickups. Codey remembered, "I was 14, taking bodies out of train wrecks. You grow up quick."<ref name=NNDB> NNDB Biography</ref> Codey has described himself as "100% ]".<ref>, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, December 14, 2011. Accessed March 5, 2012. "State Sen. Richard Codey, a former governor who proudly described himself as '100% Irish,' was less quick to judge. 'No one hates a stereotype more than me,' he said. 'But it seems that just went along with the thinking of the time. I don't think he should be crucified for that.'"</ref>


== New Jersey Assembly ==
With the passage on ], ], of a ] creating the position of ], Codey is the last person to serve simultaneously as Governor and Senate President. In the event of a gubernatorial vacancy before the first Lieutenant Governor takes office on ], ], the Senate President (or Assembly Speaker) will become Governor and will be required to relinquish his (or her) seat in the legislature. On ], ], Codey became Governor (no longer ]) as a result of his signing legislation that provides a person who serves as Acting Governor for continuous period of at least 180 days will be "Governor of the State of New Jersey" for official and historical purposes.
Codey left the funeral trade to try his hand in politics in 1973 when he was first elected to the ], with ] as his running mate.<ref>{{cite news |first=Wally |last=Edge |title=The one that starts in the 1960s and ends with Codey |work=PolitickerNJ |date=January 7, 2008 |access-date=May 17, 2009 |url=http://www.politickernj.com/one-starts-1960s-and-ends-codey-15122}}</ref> He served in the Assembly from 1974 to 1982. In 1981 he earned a ] in education from ].

== New Jersey Senate ==
Codey was elected to the ] that same year and has since risen through the ranks to become Senate President. He first ascended to that post in 2002 to 2010. He serves in the Senate on the Legislative Services Commission.<ref name=NJLEG/> He also has a hockey arena named in his honor, also known as ] in ].

=== Return to Senate service ===
] Instead of running for a full term as governor, Codey was re-elected to the ] in 2007. Codey represents the 27th Legislative District together with ] ], who was coincidentally also the mayor of ], a town in ], where Senator Codey's family was raised. Codey and his family lived in West Orange until 2009, when they moved to neighboring ]. The other Assembly seat is occupied by ], who was elected to fill the seat in November 2007 after the resignation of ] on September 8, 2007.<ref>via ]. , '']'', September 8, 2007. Accessed September 8, 2007. "State Assemblyman Alfred Steele, one of 11 public officials arrested Thursday in a federal corruption sting, said Saturday that he would resign Monday from the legislature. The announcement by Steele, a Democrat from Passaic, came less than a day after the other assemblyman arrested, Mims Hackett Jr., had stepped down."</ref>

In September, 2006, during Menendez's re-election campaign for his U.S. Senate seat, it was revealed that Menendez was the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. The situation closely resembled the situation faced by ] in his 2002 re-election campaign, where ethical problems and declining poll numbers led to Torricelli exiting the race, to be replaced as the Democratic candidate by former senator ]. Political observers speculated that Codey could be tapped to fill the candidate's slot should Menendez decide to withdraw from the race.<ref>, National Journal Group, Sept. 28, 2006 (subscription required)</ref> However, on November 7, 2006, Menendez was elected to a full term.

Codey briefly resigned as President of the Senate for one day in January 2008 in order to let retiring Sen. ] of ] serve as Senate President on his last day in office. Senator Kenny had served as Senate Majority Leader under Codey. Kenny served as Senate President from January 7 to January 8, when Senator Codey was reelected to the Senate Presidency for the next legislative session.

In December 2016, Codey was one of several ] legislators who supported legislation legalizing ].<ref>Alex, Patricia. , '']'', December 13, 2016. Accessed July 15, 2019. "State Sen. Richard Codey was raised in an apartment upstairs from his family’s funeral home next to an imposing Catholic church in Orange, where the parish, the business and the family were intertwined.... Nonetheless, Codey and other prominent Catholic legislators are breaking with the church in supporting a bill that would allow assisted suicide in New Jersey."</ref>

=== Committee assignments ===
Committee assignments for the current session are:<ref name=NJLEG>, ]. Accessed January 28, 2022.</ref>
*Legislative Oversight, as ''Chair''
*Environment and Energy
*Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens

=== District 27 ===
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the ] and two members in the ].<ref>, ]. Accessed January 28, 2022.</ref> The representatives from the 27th District for the ] are:<ref>, ]. Accessed January 11, 2022.</ref>
*Senator Richard Codey <span {{Party shading/Democratic}}>(D) </span>
*Assemblyman ] <span {{Party shading/Democratic}}>(D) </span>
*Assemblywoman ] <span {{Party shading/Democratic}}>(D) </span>

== Governor of New Jersey ==

=== 2002 ===
Following Governor ]'s resignation in 2001 to become head of the ], Codey was one of three different senate presidents (along with ] and ], as well as Attorney General ]) to serve as acting governor within the one-year period between Whitman's resignation and ]'s inauguration in January 2002. DiFrancesco served as acting governor for all but the last week of this period, until his term as senate president ended. As attorney general, Farmer then served as acting governor for ninety minutes, until the election of Bennett and Codey as co-presidents of the senate. The latter two then divided the last week of the term between them, with Codey serving for three days, from January 12, 2002, to January 15, 2002, leading to a situation in which the state had five different people serving as governor during a period of eight days (DiFrancesco, Farmer, Bennett, Codey, and McGreevey).<ref>Staff. , '']'', November 11, 2002. accessed June 22, 2012. "Thanks to an unusual set of circumstances and a flaw in the state constitution, New Jersey had five different governors over eight days at the beginning of the year. Even for New Jersey, this was pretty bizarre."</ref>

=== 2004 to 2006 ===
Codey became acting governor again with the resignation of ] on November 15, 2004. According to the ] at the time, in the event of a vacancy in the governor's office, the President of the State Senate takes on the additional position of acting governor until the next gubernatorial election. After taking over in 2004 Codey became popular with many New Jersey residents and reportedly considered a run for a full four-year term. However, ] ]'s large number of endorsements as well as his large campaign war chest, funded primarily by his great personal wealth, convinced Codey to announce officially on January 31, 2005, that he would step aside. Codey served as governor until Corzine was sworn in on January 17, 2006, following Corzine's victory in the November 8, 2005 ]. Some had speculated that Codey could be a possible candidate for Corzine's vacant seat in the ], with Corzine appointing his own successor once he was sworn in as governor. However, Codey announced on November 23, 2005, that he was not interested in the Senate seat.

On June 6, 2005, Codey announced revised nutrition guidelines for all state funded public and private schools, eliminating soda, candy, and other products with sugar as the leading ingredient from cafeteria offerings. The law became effective on September 1, 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holl |first=John |date=7 June 2005 |title=School Policy in New Jersey to Take Junk Off Lunch Tray |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/07/nyregion/school-policy-in-new-jersey-to-take-junk-off-lunch-tray.html |access-date=11 November 2024 |work=]}}</ref>

With the passage on November 8, 2005, of a ] creating the position of ] to take effect with the 2009 election, Codey became the last person to serve simultaneously as governor and senate president.<ref>{{cite news |last=Benson |first=Josh |date=October 25, 2005 |title=New Jersey, Used to Having Governors Leave Early, Considers Need for a Lieutenant |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/nyregion/metrocampaigns/new-jersey-used-to-having-governors-leave-early.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=February 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Neill |first1=James M. |last2=Stile |first2=Charles |date=August 14, 2023 |title=Sen. Richard Codey, NJ's longest-serving legislator and a former governor, is retiring |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/14/richard-codey-nj-longest-serving-legislator-retiring-former-governor/70588871007/ |work=] |accessdate=February 8, 2024}}</ref>
On January 9, 2006, Codey became governor (no longer ]) as a result of his signing legislation that provided that a person who serves as acting governor for a continuous period of at least 180 days will be "Governor of the State of New Jersey" for official and historical purposes. This law was made retroactive to 2001, covering both Codey's service after McGreevey's resignation and the service of ] following the resignation of Governor ] in 2001. This made DiFrancesco New Jersey's 51st governor and Codey the 53rd.<ref>Jones, Richard Lezin. , '']'', January 22, 2006. Accessed January 24, 2022.</ref>
Codey has been an outspoken advocate of ] awareness and strongly favors including mental health funding in employee medical benefit packages and ]. Both Codey and his wife, ], have spoken candidly about her past struggles with ].


In early 2005, Codey created some controversy by responding in person to ] ] host Craig Carton, who jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air. Some argue that Codey's comments were a physical threat against the radio personality. The Governor himself admits to telling Carton during the altercation that he wished he could "take outside," while in the presence of the six ]men who were serving as his personal bodyguards. There was some speculation that this incident helped Codey decide not to run for a full term as governor. In July 2005, Codey also defended actress ] after she faced criticism for discussing her ]. In December 2005, Codey appeared on Carton's radio program to help put the incident behind him. Codey is an advocate of ] awareness and strongly favors including mental health funding in employee medical benefit packages and ]. Both Codey and his wife, ], have spoken candidly about her past struggles with ]. In early 2005, Codey responded in person to ] ] host ], who jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air. Some argue that Codey's comments were a physical threat against the radio personality. The Governor himself admits to telling Carton during the altercation that he wished he could "take outside", while in the presence of the six ]men who were serving as his personal bodyguards. There was some speculation that this incident helped Codey decide not to run for a full term as governor. In July 2005, Codey also defended actress ] after she faced criticism for discussing her postpartum depression. In December 2005, Codey appeared on Carton's radio program to help put the incident behind both of them.


Codey appointed Mary Jane Cooper to be New Jersey's first-ever Inspector General, a position created to root out waste and mismanagement in government. Codey added $7 million in new funding to agencies devoted to public accountability, per the recommendations that resulted from an audit of state ethics codes that he commissioned. In March 2005, Codey cracked down on ] when he signed a law banning campaign contributions by businesses holding state contracts in several circumstances.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Codey Signs Pay-To-Play Ban into Law|publisher=Office of the ]|date=March 22, 2005|url=http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/governor/njnewsline/view_article.pl?id=2427}}</ref>
As governor, Codey championed a bill to ban smoking from indoor spaces in the state, more money for stem cell research, increased funding for mental health, and sports. Codey created a task force to recommend ways to end steroid abuse in high school and college sports in the state. The task force established drug testing for high school athletes on teams that play in the championship. The state will pay for the drug testing program. He also negotiated a successful new stadium to be constructed jointly by the ] and ].


As governor, Codey championed a bill to ban smoking from indoor spaces in the state, more money for stem cell research, increased funding for mental health, and sports. Codey created a task force to recommend ways to end steroid abuse in high school and college sports in the state. The task force established drug testing for high school athletes on teams that play in the championships, with the state paying for the drug testing program.<ref>Editorial. , '']'', March 15, 2010. Accessed June 22, 2012. "Codey's bill would require the state Department of Education and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to randomly test athletes taking part in championship tournaments."</ref> He also successfully negotiated for ], which was constructed jointly by the ] and ].<ref>Belson, Ken. , '']'', October 10, 2009. Accessed June 24, 2012. "That deal was brokered by Richard J. Codey, the president of the State Senate, who was then acting governor. The agreement broke a logjam among critics on the authority's board who thought the teams were getting a sweetheart deal."</ref>
In December 2005, Codey announced he was not accepting a new state slogan recommended by the State Commerce Department, following a study by a marketing consultant, which was paid for by the state. He said he felt the slogan, "We'll win you over", made the state seem desperate. Governor Codey openly solicited slogan suggestions from citizens and then choose five finalists, which he opened to a vote from the public. Days prior to leaving the governor's office, Codey announced the winner, "New Jersey: Come See for Yourself".


In December 2005, Codey announced he was not accepting a new state slogan recommended by the State Commerce Department, following a study by a marketing consultant, which was paid for by the state. He said he felt the slogan "We'll win you over" made the state seem desperate.<ref>]. . '']'', November 1, 2005, accessed April 15, 2007, "Acting Governor Codey could barely contain his disappointment with the proposed "We'll win you over" slogan. Too negative, he complained as he ordered a rewrite. It seems the line caused Codey to recall a desperate moment from his bachelor days, when he asked a hard-to-get woman for a date. She said no, but Codey pleaded for just one date so he could win her over."</ref> Governor Codey openly solicited slogan suggestions from citizens and then choose five finalists, which he opened to a vote from the public. Days prior to leaving the governor's office, Codey announced the winner: "New Jersey: Come See for Yourself".<ref>, press release dated January 12, 2006, accessed April 15, 2007. "Governor Richard J. Codey today revealed the people's choice for the state's new tourism slogan: 'New Jersey: Come See for Yourself'."</ref>
Ironically, as Corzine attended the swearing in of ] as a U.S. Senator on ], ], in ], Codey spent part of his first day as former governor, as the acting governor of the state.


Shortly before leaving office, Codey signed the first legislative moratorium on capital punishment enacted by any state in the nation.<ref>via ]. , '']'', January 10, 2006. Accessed June 24, 2012.</ref> The moratorium ended with the permanent ban of capital punishment by Codey's successor, Jon Corzine.
Codey is next up for election to the ] in 2007. Codey represents the 27th Legislative District together with ] ] and ].


As Corzine attended the swearing in of ] as a U.S. Senator on January 18, 2006, in Washington, D.C., Codey spent part of his first day as former governor as the acting governor of the state.
==Governor Codey's Cabinet==

=== Cabinet ===
* ], Secretary of Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism
* George Hayman, Acting Commissioner of Corrections (as of January 3, 2006)
* ], Acting Commissioner of Banking and Insurance
* Peter Cammarano, Chief of staff to the governor
* ], Commissioner of Environmental Protection
* Thomas Carver, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (until October 2005)
* ], Commissioner of Human Services
* ], Acting Commissioner of Education (from September 2005)
* Paul Fader, Chief Counsel to the governor
* ], President of the Board of Public Utilities
* Col. Joseph Fuentes, Superintendent of the ]
* ], State Attorney General
* Dr. Fred Jacobs, Commissioner of Health and Senior Services
* Charles Kuperus, Secretary of Agriculture
* John Lettiere, Commissioner of Transportation
* ], Commissioner of Community Affairs (until June 2005)
* William Librera, Commissioner of Education (until September 2005)
* ], State Treasurer
* ], Acting Commissioner of Community Affairs (from June 2005)
* Major Gen. ], ]
* ], Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (from October 2005)
* Seema Singh, Ratepayer Advocate
* ], ]
* Rolando Torres, Commissioner of Personnel

=== 2007 ===
On April 12, 2007, Codey became Acting Governor of New Jersey when Corzine was incapacitated due to serious injuries suffered in a car accident that day. Codey became acting governor since New Jersey did not have the position of ] until after the 2009 election.<ref>David Kocieniewski and David W. Chen, , '']'', April 13, 2007.</ref> Corzine resumed his duties as governor on May 7, 2007.

=== Public opinion summary ===
Former Governor ] was the 11th governor in the history of the United States to resign due to a political scandal.<ref>Former Governor Jim McGreevey was the 11th governor in the history of the United States to resign due to a political scandal</ref> In August 2004, just after McGreevey announced his intention to leave the office that November, ]'s ] measured public views of his soon-to-be successor, Richard Codey, president of the ]. In a study released on August 16, 2004, FDU reported that 68% of New Jersey voters did not recognize Richard Codey's name. Nevertheless, 30% of voters shared a favorable view of him while only 9% reported an unfavorable view.<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (August 16, 2004). (press release)</ref>

Even two months later, in early October 2004, FDU's poll release entitled "Richard Who?" found that, despite that Codey would soon take over as governor from McGreevey, the name ''Richard Codey'' remained unknown to 59% of New Jersey voters. However, voters who knew him held distinctly more favorable than unfavorable views by a two to one ratio, (23%–10%).<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (October 1, 2004). (press release)</ref>

By early January 2005, when PublicMind again conducted a statewide study in which voters were asked: "Have you heard of Richard Codey?," the numbers showed that 35% of New Jersey voters still did not recognize Codey's name. However, 48% had a favorable view of him compared to 7% of those who had an unfavorable view, "a formidable 7:1 ratio" said the press release.<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (January 10, 2005). (press release)</ref>

According to the next FDU PublicMind poll released on April 13, 2005, Gov. Codey's recognition had improved significantly since the previous August when former Gov. McGreevey announced his resignation. Five months after assuming office, four of five voters (78%) recognized his name, (a 46-point increase from August 2004). In addition, voters were twice as likely to have a favorable view (51%) as opposed to an unfavorable view (25%) of the governor, a two-to-one ratio despite that three in five (59%) also lamented the state was "on the wrong track."<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (April 13, 2005) (press release)</ref>

In a study conducted by FDU's PublicMind on July 21, 2005, results showed that 51% of NJ voters believed the state was on the wrong track. Nevertheless, their concerns about the state's problems did not impact the image of Gov. Codey. Numbers indicated that half of voters in New Jersey rated Codey's performance as excellent or good. Only 8% reported that he was doing a poor job. ], professor of political science and executive director of PublicMind commented: "That's pretty good for New Jersey… Codey's plain spoken approach seems to soften people's views of the state's problems."<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (July 21, 2005). (press release)</ref>

According to a PublicMind poll released September 27, 2005, a total of 21% of New Jersey voters still did not recognize their incumbent governor Richard Codey. However, this was a remarkable increase in recognition from six months earlier, when 35% of voters failed to recognize his name. In addition, more than half of voters (57%) agreed that his performance could be considered "good" or "excellent."<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (September 27, 2005). (press release)</ref>

A few months later, a sizable majority of New Jersey voters still retained a favorable view of the new governor. A PublicMind study released on November 22, 2005, indicated that 65% of voters shared a favorable view of Gov. Codey compared to 11% who held an unfavorable view.<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (November 22, 2005). (press release)</ref>

As Gov. Codey prepared to leave office, making way for newly elected governor ], a FDU PublicMind study released on January 12, 2006, showed that 48% of voters said the state was "on the wrong track" while 34% said it was headed in the right direction. However, though voters had a negative view of the direction of state, their view of Gov. Codey was strongly positive. In that same study, 68% of voters who recognized Gov. Codey had a favorable opinion of him and the pollsters noted that the outgoing governor had "an impressive 5:1 ratio of favorable to unfavorable opinion".<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (January 12, 2006). (press release)</ref>

Out of the governor's office for over five years, Codey continued to make headlines as a prospective candidate for that office. In a FDU PublicMind Poll released September 27, 2011, voters were asked "If you could pick a Democrat to run against ] for governor, who would you prefer?" Richard Codey came up as the most adequate candidate at 18% among other well-known Democrats like ] and ].<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (September 27, 2011). (press release)</ref>

== Potential gubernatorial candidacy in 2009 ==
The ] approached Codey in 2009 to consider running for governor in Corzine's place if the incumbent withdrew from his reelection bid, citing polls showing that Codey led Republican ]. Corzine remained in the race and ].<ref name="margolin20091104">Margolin, Joshua. "" ''The Star-Ledger'', November 4, 2009.</ref>

== Electoral history ==
=== New Jersey Senate ===
{{Election box begin no change
|title = ]<ref name="GeneralResults">{{cite web |title=Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-general-results-state-senate.pdf |publisher=] |access-date=December 12, 2021 |date=November 30, 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
| votes = 50,604
| percentage = 64.87
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Adam Kraemer
| votes = 27,409
| percentage = 35.13
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 78,013
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin
| title = ]}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
| candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 43,066
| percentage = 69.7
| change = {{increase}} 10.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
| candidate = Pasquale Capozzoli
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 18,720
| percentage = 30.3
| change = {{decrease}} 10.4
}}
{{Election box total
| votes =61,786
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=]}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 34,291
|percentage = 59.3
|change = {{decrease}} 2.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Lee S. Holtzman
|votes = 23,581
|percentage = 40.7
|change = {{increase}} 2.5
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 57,872
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=New Jersey general election, 2011}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 27,089
|percentage = 61.8
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = William H. Eames
|votes = 16,741
|percentage = 38.2
|change =
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 43,830
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 2007}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 23,631
|percentage = 78.8
|change = {{increase}} 13.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Joseph A. Fischer
|votes = 6,368
|percentage = 21.2
|change = {{decrease}} 13.0
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 29,999
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 2003}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 17,220
|percentage = 65.8
|change = {{increase}} 1.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Bobbi Joan Bennett
|votes = 8,958
|percentage = 34.2
|change = {{increase}} 1.4
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 26,178
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=New Jersey general election, 2001}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 35,237
|percentage = 64.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Jared Silverman
|votes = 17,871
|percentage = 32.8
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no change|
|party = African-Americans For Justice
|candidate = Donald Page
|votes = 1,359
|percentage = 2.5
|change =
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 54,467
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1997}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 35,770
|percentage = 79.5
|change = {{increase}} 4.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard R. Klattenberg
|votes = 9,250
|percentage = 20.5
|change = {{decrease}} 4.4
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 45,020
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1993}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 33,138
|percentage = 75.1
|change = {{increase}} 7.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Dr. Zal Velez
|votes = 10,979
|percentage = 24.9
|change = {{decrease}} 7.0
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 44,117
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=New Jersey general election, 1991}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 19,677
|percentage = 68.1
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Eugene J. Byrne
|votes = 9,202
|percentage = 31.9
|change =
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 28,879
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1987}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 17,064
|percentage = 76.4
|change = {{increase}} 1.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Felix Graziano
|votes = 5,270
|percentage = 23.6
|change = {{decrease}} 1.2
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 22,334
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1983}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 18,943
|percentage = 75.2
|change = {{increase}} 1.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = James J. Brown
|votes = 6,255
|percentage = 24.8
|change = {{decrease}} 1.3
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 25,198
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=New Jersey general election, 1981}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey
|votes = 30,403
|percentage = 73.9
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard E. Koehler
|votes = 10,737
|percentage = 26.1
|change =
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 41,140
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

=== New Jersey Assembly ===
{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1979}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 14,320
|percentage = 36.1
|change = {{decrease}} 0.2
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = ] (Incumbent)
|votes = 12,910
|percentage = 32.5
|change = {{decrease}} 0.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Leonard P. Messina Sr.
|votes = 6,079
|percentage = 15.3
|change = {{decrease}} 0.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Timothy A. Gaylord Jr.
|votes = 5,143
|percentage = 13.0
|change = {{decrease}} 0.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Janet C. Mandel
|votes = 479
|percentage = 1.2
|change = {{increase}} 1.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard S. Roth
|votes = 445
|percentage = 1.1
|change = {{increase}} 0.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Lynne Speed
|votes = 320
|percentage = 0.8
|change = {{increase}} 0.6
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 39,696
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1977}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 25,605
|percentage = 36.3
|change = {{increase}} 0.4
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = ]
|votes = 23,430
|percentage = 33.2
|change = {{increase}} 0.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Daniel Di Benedetto
|votes = 11,322
|percentage = 16.1
|change = {{increase}} 1.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Jeffrey A. Gerson
|votes = 9,484
|percentage = 13.4
|change = {{decrease}} 0.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Katherine E. Florentine
|votes = 242
|percentage = 0.3
|change = {{decrease}} 1.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard S. Roth
|votes = 204
|percentage = 0.3
|change = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Lynne Speed
|votes = 127
|percentage = 0.2
|change = {{decrease}} 1.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Dennis Speed
|votes = 117
|percentage = 0.2
|change = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 70,531
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 1975}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey (Incumbent)
|votes = 22,618
|percentage = 35.9
|change = {{increase}} 0.2
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = ] (Incumbent)
|votes = 20,830
|percentage = 33.1
|change = {{steady}} 0.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Conrad N. Koch
|votes = 9,069
|percentage = 14.4
|change = {{decrease}} 2.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Raymond Findley Jr.
|votes = 8,563
|percentage = 13.6
|change = {{decrease}} 1.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Kenneth R. Kaplan
|votes = 1,069
|percentage = 1.7
|change = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = U.S. Labor Party
|candidate = Kenneth Mandel
|votes = 852
|percentage = 1.4
|change = ''N/A''
}}
{{Election box total
| votes = 63,001
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=New Jersey general election, 1973}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Richard Codey
|votes = 30,282
|percentage = 35.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = ]
|votes = 28,102
|percentage = 33.1
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = John F. Trezza
|votes = 13,978
|percentage = 16.5
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = ]
|votes = 12,502
|percentage = 14.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 84,864
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}


==References==
*], Secretary of Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism
{{Reflist}}
*George Hayman, Acting Commissioner of Corrections (as of ], ])
*], Acting Commissioner of Banking and Insurance
*Pete Cammarata, Chief of Staff to the Governor
*Bradley Campbell, Commissioner of Environmental Protection
*Thomas Carver, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (until October 2005)
*], Commissioner of Human Services
*], Acting Commissioner of Education (from September 2005)
*Paul Fader, Chief Counsel to the Governor
*], President of the Board of Public Utilities
*Col. Joseph Fuentes, Superintendent of the ]
*Peter Harvey, State Attorney General
*Dr. Fred Jacobs, Commissioner of Health and Senior Services
*Charles Kuperus, Secretary of Agriculture
*John Lettiere, Commissioner of Transportation
*], Commissioner of Community Affairs (until June 2005)
*William Librera, Commissioner of Education (until September 2005)
*John McCormac, State Treasurer
*Charles Richman, Acting Commissioner of Community Affairs (from June 2005)
*Major Gen. ], ]
*], Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (from October 2005)
*Seema Singh, Ratepayer Advocate
*], ]
*Rolando Torres, Commissioner of Personnel


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* *, ]
*''New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms''
*
**
*
*, ]
*
*
*
* {{C-SPAN|1013011}}


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{{succession box | before=] | title=] | years=], ]&ndash;], ]| after=]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the ]<br>from the 26th district|years=1974–1982|alongside=], ]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Member of the ]<br>from the 27th district|years=1982–2024}}
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{{s-ttl|title=President of the ]|years=2002–2008|alongside=] (2002–2004)}}
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{{s-ttl|title=President of the ]|years=2008–2010}}
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{{Presidents of the New Jersey Senate}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Codey, Richard}}
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Latest revision as of 20:25, 7 December 2024

American politician (born 1946)

Richard Codey
Codey in 2011
53rd Governor of New Jersey
In office
November 15, 2004 – January 17, 2006
Preceded byJim McGreevey
Succeeded byJon Corzine
In office
January 12, 2002 – January 15, 2002
Acting
Preceded byJohn O. Bennett (acting)
Succeeded byJim McGreevey
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 27th district
In office
January 10, 1982 – January 9, 2024
Preceded byCarmen A. Orechio
Succeeded byJohn F. McKeon
111th and 113th President of the New Jersey Senate
In office
January 8, 2008 – January 12, 2010
Preceded byBernard Kenny
Succeeded byStephen Sweeney
In office
January 8, 2002 – January 7, 2008
Co-Presidency with John Bennett until January 13, 2004
Preceded byDonald DiFrancesco
Succeeded byBernard Kenny
Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
In office
January 13, 1998 – January 8, 2002
Preceded byJohn A. Lynch Jr.
Succeeded byLeonard Lance
(2004)
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 26th district
In office
January 8, 1974 – January 12, 1982
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byLeanna Brown
Dean Gallo
Personal details
BornRichard James Codey
(1946-11-27) November 27, 1946 (age 78)
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse Mary Rolli ​(m. 1981)
EducationFairleigh Dickinson University (BA)

Richard James Codey (born November 27, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 2024 and as the President of the Senate from 2002 to 2010. He represented the 27th Legislative District, which covered the western portions of Essex County and the southeastern portion of Morris County.

Codey is the longest-serving state legislator in New Jersey history, having served in the New Jersey Legislature continuously from January 8, 1974 to January 9, 2024.

Early life

Codey's wife and former New Jersey First Lady, Mary Jo Codey

Codey grew up in his family's funeral home in Orange. He attended Our Lady of the Valley High School and transferred to Orange High School, neither of them successfully, before switching to Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, from which he graduated. He went on to take over his father's job as a licensed funeral director. When his father, Donald, became the county coroner, Richard was drafted to help with death scene pickups. Codey remembered, "I was 14, taking bodies out of train wrecks. You grow up quick." Codey has described himself as "100% Irish".

New Jersey Assembly

Codey left the funeral trade to try his hand in politics in 1973 when he was first elected to the State Assembly, with Eldridge Hawkins as his running mate. He served in the Assembly from 1974 to 1982. In 1981 he earned a bachelor's degree in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

New Jersey Senate

Codey was elected to the State Senate that same year and has since risen through the ranks to become Senate President. He first ascended to that post in 2002 to 2010. He serves in the Senate on the Legislative Services Commission. He also has a hockey arena named in his honor, also known as South Mountain Arena in West Orange, New Jersey.

Return to Senate service

Codey in October 2008

Instead of running for a full term as governor, Codey was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2007. Codey represents the 27th Legislative District together with Assemblyman John F. McKeon, who was coincidentally also the mayor of West Orange, a town in Essex County, New Jersey, where Senator Codey's family was raised. Codey and his family lived in West Orange until 2009, when they moved to neighboring Roseland. The other Assembly seat is occupied by Mila Jasey, who was elected to fill the seat in November 2007 after the resignation of Mims Hackett on September 8, 2007.

In September, 2006, during Menendez's re-election campaign for his U.S. Senate seat, it was revealed that Menendez was the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. The situation closely resembled the situation faced by Robert Torricelli in his 2002 re-election campaign, where ethical problems and declining poll numbers led to Torricelli exiting the race, to be replaced as the Democratic candidate by former senator Frank Lautenberg. Political observers speculated that Codey could be tapped to fill the candidate's slot should Menendez decide to withdraw from the race. However, on November 7, 2006, Menendez was elected to a full term.

Codey briefly resigned as President of the Senate for one day in January 2008 in order to let retiring Sen. Bernard Kenny of Hoboken serve as Senate President on his last day in office. Senator Kenny had served as Senate Majority Leader under Codey. Kenny served as Senate President from January 7 to January 8, when Senator Codey was reelected to the Senate Presidency for the next legislative session.

In December 2016, Codey was one of several Catholic legislators who supported legislation legalizing assisted suicide.

Committee assignments

Committee assignments for the current session are:

  • Legislative Oversight, as Chair
  • Environment and Energy
  • Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens

District 27

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 27th District for the 2022—23 Legislative Session are:

Governor of New Jersey

2002

Following Governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation in 2001 to become head of the EPA, Codey was one of three different senate presidents (along with Donald DiFrancesco and John O. Bennett, as well as Attorney General John Farmer) to serve as acting governor within the one-year period between Whitman's resignation and Jim McGreevey's inauguration in January 2002. DiFrancesco served as acting governor for all but the last week of this period, until his term as senate president ended. As attorney general, Farmer then served as acting governor for ninety minutes, until the election of Bennett and Codey as co-presidents of the senate. The latter two then divided the last week of the term between them, with Codey serving for three days, from January 12, 2002, to January 15, 2002, leading to a situation in which the state had five different people serving as governor during a period of eight days (DiFrancesco, Farmer, Bennett, Codey, and McGreevey).

2004 to 2006

Codey became acting governor again with the resignation of Jim McGreevey on November 15, 2004. According to the New Jersey State Constitution at the time, in the event of a vacancy in the governor's office, the President of the State Senate takes on the additional position of acting governor until the next gubernatorial election. After taking over in 2004 Codey became popular with many New Jersey residents and reportedly considered a run for a full four-year term. However, U.S. Senator Jon Corzine's large number of endorsements as well as his large campaign war chest, funded primarily by his great personal wealth, convinced Codey to announce officially on January 31, 2005, that he would step aside. Codey served as governor until Corzine was sworn in on January 17, 2006, following Corzine's victory in the November 8, 2005 elections. Some had speculated that Codey could be a possible candidate for Corzine's vacant seat in the United States Senate, with Corzine appointing his own successor once he was sworn in as governor. However, Codey announced on November 23, 2005, that he was not interested in the Senate seat.

On June 6, 2005, Codey announced revised nutrition guidelines for all state funded public and private schools, eliminating soda, candy, and other products with sugar as the leading ingredient from cafeteria offerings. The law became effective on September 1, 2007.

With the passage on November 8, 2005, of a constitutional amendment creating the position of lieutenant governor to take effect with the 2009 election, Codey became the last person to serve simultaneously as governor and senate president.

On January 9, 2006, Codey became governor (no longer acting governor) as a result of his signing legislation that provided that a person who serves as acting governor for a continuous period of at least 180 days will be "Governor of the State of New Jersey" for official and historical purposes. This law was made retroactive to 2001, covering both Codey's service after McGreevey's resignation and the service of Donald DiFrancesco following the resignation of Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 2001. This made DiFrancesco New Jersey's 51st governor and Codey the 53rd.

Codey is an advocate of mental health awareness and strongly favors including mental health funding in employee medical benefit packages and Medicare. Both Codey and his wife, Mary Jo, have spoken candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression. In early 2005, Codey responded in person to New Jersey 101.5 talk radio host Craig Carton, who jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air. Some argue that Codey's comments were a physical threat against the radio personality. The Governor himself admits to telling Carton during the altercation that he wished he could "take outside", while in the presence of the six New Jersey State Policemen who were serving as his personal bodyguards. There was some speculation that this incident helped Codey decide not to run for a full term as governor. In July 2005, Codey also defended actress Brooke Shields after she faced criticism for discussing her postpartum depression. In December 2005, Codey appeared on Carton's radio program to help put the incident behind both of them.

Codey appointed Mary Jane Cooper to be New Jersey's first-ever Inspector General, a position created to root out waste and mismanagement in government. Codey added $7 million in new funding to agencies devoted to public accountability, per the recommendations that resulted from an audit of state ethics codes that he commissioned. In March 2005, Codey cracked down on pay to play when he signed a law banning campaign contributions by businesses holding state contracts in several circumstances.

As governor, Codey championed a bill to ban smoking from indoor spaces in the state, more money for stem cell research, increased funding for mental health, and sports. Codey created a task force to recommend ways to end steroid abuse in high school and college sports in the state. The task force established drug testing for high school athletes on teams that play in the championships, with the state paying for the drug testing program. He also successfully negotiated for MetLife Stadium, which was constructed jointly by the New York Giants and New York Jets.

In December 2005, Codey announced he was not accepting a new state slogan recommended by the State Commerce Department, following a study by a marketing consultant, which was paid for by the state. He said he felt the slogan "We'll win you over" made the state seem desperate. Governor Codey openly solicited slogan suggestions from citizens and then choose five finalists, which he opened to a vote from the public. Days prior to leaving the governor's office, Codey announced the winner: "New Jersey: Come See for Yourself".

Shortly before leaving office, Codey signed the first legislative moratorium on capital punishment enacted by any state in the nation. The moratorium ended with the permanent ban of capital punishment by Codey's successor, Jon Corzine.

As Corzine attended the swearing in of Bob Menendez as a U.S. Senator on January 18, 2006, in Washington, D.C., Codey spent part of his first day as former governor as the acting governor of the state.

Cabinet

  • Virginia Bauer, Secretary of Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism
  • George Hayman, Acting Commissioner of Corrections (as of January 3, 2006)
  • Donald Bryan, Acting Commissioner of Banking and Insurance
  • Peter Cammarano, Chief of staff to the governor
  • Bradley Campbell, Commissioner of Environmental Protection
  • Thomas Carver, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (until October 2005)
  • James Davy, Commissioner of Human Services
  • Lucille Davy, Acting Commissioner of Education (from September 2005)
  • Paul Fader, Chief Counsel to the governor
  • Jeanne Fox, President of the Board of Public Utilities
  • Col. Joseph Fuentes, Superintendent of the State Police
  • Peter C. Harvey, State Attorney General
  • Dr. Fred Jacobs, Commissioner of Health and Senior Services
  • Charles Kuperus, Secretary of Agriculture
  • John Lettiere, Commissioner of Transportation
  • Susan Bass Levin, Commissioner of Community Affairs (until June 2005)
  • William Librera, Commissioner of Education (until September 2005)
  • John McCormac, State Treasurer
  • Charles Richman, Acting Commissioner of Community Affairs (from June 2005)
  • Major Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, Adjutant General
  • A.J. Sabath, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development (from October 2005)
  • Seema Singh, Ratepayer Advocate
  • Regena Thomas, Secretary of State of New Jersey
  • Rolando Torres, Commissioner of Personnel

2007

On April 12, 2007, Codey became Acting Governor of New Jersey when Corzine was incapacitated due to serious injuries suffered in a car accident that day. Codey became acting governor since New Jersey did not have the position of lieutenant governor until after the 2009 election. Corzine resumed his duties as governor on May 7, 2007.

Public opinion summary

Former Governor Jim McGreevey was the 11th governor in the history of the United States to resign due to a political scandal. In August 2004, just after McGreevey announced his intention to leave the office that November, Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind measured public views of his soon-to-be successor, Richard Codey, president of the New Jersey Senate. In a study released on August 16, 2004, FDU reported that 68% of New Jersey voters did not recognize Richard Codey's name. Nevertheless, 30% of voters shared a favorable view of him while only 9% reported an unfavorable view.

Even two months later, in early October 2004, FDU's poll release entitled "Richard Who?" found that, despite that Codey would soon take over as governor from McGreevey, the name Richard Codey remained unknown to 59% of New Jersey voters. However, voters who knew him held distinctly more favorable than unfavorable views by a two to one ratio, (23%–10%).

By early January 2005, when PublicMind again conducted a statewide study in which voters were asked: "Have you heard of Richard Codey?," the numbers showed that 35% of New Jersey voters still did not recognize Codey's name. However, 48% had a favorable view of him compared to 7% of those who had an unfavorable view, "a formidable 7:1 ratio" said the press release.

According to the next FDU PublicMind poll released on April 13, 2005, Gov. Codey's recognition had improved significantly since the previous August when former Gov. McGreevey announced his resignation. Five months after assuming office, four of five voters (78%) recognized his name, (a 46-point increase from August 2004). In addition, voters were twice as likely to have a favorable view (51%) as opposed to an unfavorable view (25%) of the governor, a two-to-one ratio despite that three in five (59%) also lamented the state was "on the wrong track."

In a study conducted by FDU's PublicMind on July 21, 2005, results showed that 51% of NJ voters believed the state was on the wrong track. Nevertheless, their concerns about the state's problems did not impact the image of Gov. Codey. Numbers indicated that half of voters in New Jersey rated Codey's performance as excellent or good. Only 8% reported that he was doing a poor job. Dr. Peter J. Woolley, professor of political science and executive director of PublicMind commented: "That's pretty good for New Jersey… Codey's plain spoken approach seems to soften people's views of the state's problems."

According to a PublicMind poll released September 27, 2005, a total of 21% of New Jersey voters still did not recognize their incumbent governor Richard Codey. However, this was a remarkable increase in recognition from six months earlier, when 35% of voters failed to recognize his name. In addition, more than half of voters (57%) agreed that his performance could be considered "good" or "excellent."

A few months later, a sizable majority of New Jersey voters still retained a favorable view of the new governor. A PublicMind study released on November 22, 2005, indicated that 65% of voters shared a favorable view of Gov. Codey compared to 11% who held an unfavorable view.

As Gov. Codey prepared to leave office, making way for newly elected governor Jon Corzine, a FDU PublicMind study released on January 12, 2006, showed that 48% of voters said the state was "on the wrong track" while 34% said it was headed in the right direction. However, though voters had a negative view of the direction of state, their view of Gov. Codey was strongly positive. In that same study, 68% of voters who recognized Gov. Codey had a favorable opinion of him and the pollsters noted that the outgoing governor had "an impressive 5:1 ratio of favorable to unfavorable opinion".

Out of the governor's office for over five years, Codey continued to make headlines as a prospective candidate for that office. In a FDU PublicMind Poll released September 27, 2011, voters were asked "If you could pick a Democrat to run against Chris Christie for governor, who would you prefer?" Richard Codey came up as the most adequate candidate at 18% among other well-known Democrats like Cory Booker and Frank Pallone.

Potential gubernatorial candidacy in 2009

The Obama administration approached Codey in 2009 to consider running for governor in Corzine's place if the incumbent withdrew from his reelection bid, citing polls showing that Codey led Republican Chris Christie. Corzine remained in the race and lost to Christie.

Electoral history

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey general election, 2021
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 50,604 64.87
Republican Adam Kraemer 27,409 35.13
Total votes 78,013 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2017
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 43,066 69.7 Increase 10.4
Republican Pasquale Capozzoli 18,720 30.3 Decrease 10.4
Total votes 61,786 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2013
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 34,291 59.3 Decrease 2.5
Republican Lee S. Holtzman 23,581 40.7 Increase 2.5
Total votes 57,872 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 27,089 61.8
Republican William H. Eames 16,741 38.2
Total votes 43,830 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 23,631 78.8 Increase 13.0
Republican Joseph A. Fischer 6,368 21.2 Decrease 13.0
Total votes 29,999 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 17,220 65.8 Increase 1.1
Republican Bobbi Joan Bennett 8,958 34.2 Increase 1.4
Total votes 26,178 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2001
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 35,237 64.7
Republican Jared Silverman 17,871 32.8
African-Americans For Justice Donald Page 1,359 2.5
Total votes 54,467 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 35,770 79.5 Increase 4.4
Republican Richard R. Klattenberg 9,250 20.5 Decrease 4.4
Total votes 45,020 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1993
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 33,138 75.1 Increase 7.0
Republican Dr. Zal Velez 10,979 24.9 Decrease 7.0
Total votes 44,117 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1991
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 19,677 68.1
Republican Eugene J. Byrne 9,202 31.9
Total votes 28,879 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1987
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 17,064 76.4 Increase 1.2
Republican Felix Graziano 5,270 23.6 Decrease 1.2
Total votes 22,334 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1983
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 18,943 75.2 Increase 1.3
Republican James J. Brown 6,255 24.8 Decrease 1.3
Total votes 25,198 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1981
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey 30,403 73.9
Republican Richard E. Koehler 10,737 26.1
Total votes 41,140 100.0

New Jersey Assembly

New Jersey general election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 14,320 36.1 Decrease 0.2
Democratic Mildred Barry Garvin (Incumbent) 12,910 32.5 Decrease 0.7
Republican Leonard P. Messina Sr. 6,079 15.3 Decrease 0.8
Republican Timothy A. Gaylord Jr. 5,143 13.0 Decrease 0.4
U.S. Labor Janet C. Mandel 479 1.2 Increase 1.0
Libertarian Richard S. Roth 445 1.1 Increase 0.8
U.S. Labor Lynne Speed 320 0.8 Increase 0.6
Total votes 39,696 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1977
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 25,605 36.3 Increase 0.4
Democratic Mildred Barry Garvin 23,430 33.2 Increase 0.1
Republican Daniel Di Benedetto 11,322 16.1 Increase 1.7
Republican Jeffrey A. Gerson 9,484 13.4 Decrease 0.2
Libertarian Katherine E. Florentine 242 0.3 Decrease 1.4
Libertarian Richard S. Roth 204 0.3 N/A
U.S. Labor Lynne Speed 127 0.2 Decrease 1.2
U.S. Labor Dennis Speed 117 0.2 N/A
Total votes 70,531 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1975
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Codey (Incumbent) 22,618 35.9 Increase 0.2
Democratic Eldridge Hawkins (Incumbent) 20,830 33.1 Steady 0.0
Republican Conrad N. Koch 9,069 14.4 Decrease 2.1
Republican Raymond Findley Jr. 8,563 13.6 Decrease 1.1
Libertarian Kenneth R. Kaplan 1,069 1.7 N/A
U.S. Labor Kenneth Mandel 852 1.4 N/A
Total votes 63,001 100.0
New Jersey general election, 1973
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Codey 30,282 35.7
Democratic Eldridge Hawkins 28,102 33.1
Republican John F. Trezza 13,978 16.5
Republican Monroe Jay Lustbader 12,502 14.7
Total votes 84,864 100.0

References

  1. O'Neill, James M.; and Stile, Charles. "Sen. Richard Codey, NJ's longest-serving legislator and a former governor, is retiring", The Record, August 14, 2023. Accessed August 16, 2023. "Former governor and state Sen. Richard J. Codey, the longest-serving legislator in New Jersey history, who held the top post for a 14-month period, announced he will be stepping down after 50 years of service. He said he will finish out the Senate term this year and then retire."
  2. Codey, Richard J. Me, Governor?: My Life in the Rough-and-tumble World of New Jersey Politics, p. 28. Accessed December 3, 2017. "From Saint John's, I went to Our Lady of the Valley High School until my father and the priests agreed that my clowning might be better appreciated elsewhere. Throwing frogs around a biology class with some friends was my final act as a student at the Valley."
  3. Golway, Terry. "On Politics; The Bishops, in Codey, Have a New Target", The New York Times, November 14, 2004. Accessed January 24, 2022. "He is a graduate of Oratory Prep in Summit, and his wife, Mary Jo, attended Caldwell College and Seton Hall, all Catholic institutions."
  4. Bergmann, Randy. "Former governor pulls few punches in book", Courier-Post, June 5, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "He speaks with candor and humor about his academic shortcomings. He attended three high schools, all beginning with the letter 'O' Orange, Our Lady of the Valley and Oratory. (He says his father wanted him to be true to his Irish heritage.)"
  5. Richard J. Codey NNDB Biography
  6. Rible/Rumana want Thomas Nast off NJ Hall of Fame ballot, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, December 14, 2011. Accessed March 5, 2012. "State Sen. Richard Codey, a former governor who proudly described himself as '100% Irish,' was less quick to judge. 'No one hates a stereotype more than me,' he said. 'But it seems that just went along with the thinking of the time. I don't think he should be crucified for that.'"
  7. Edge, Wally (January 7, 2008). "The one that starts in the 1960s and ends with Codey". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  8. ^ Senator Richard J. Codey, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
  9. via Associated Press. "Hackett resigns, Steele to quit Monday after corruption arrests", Newsday, September 8, 2007. Accessed September 8, 2007. "State Assemblyman Alfred Steele, one of 11 public officials arrested Thursday in a federal corruption sting, said Saturday that he would resign Monday from the legislature. The announcement by Steele, a Democrat from Passaic, came less than a day after the other assemblyman arrested, Mims Hackett Jr., had stepped down."
  10. The Hotline – National Journal's Daily Briefing on Politics, National Journal Group, Sept. 28, 2006 (subscription required)
  11. Alex, Patricia. "Catholic lawmakers support assisted suicide despite faith", The Record, December 13, 2016. Accessed July 15, 2019. "State Sen. Richard Codey was raised in an apartment upstairs from his family’s funeral home next to an imposing Catholic church in Orange, where the parish, the business and the family were intertwined.... Nonetheless, Codey and other prominent Catholic legislators are breaking with the church in supporting a bill that would allow assisted suicide in New Jersey."
  12. New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
  13. Legislative Roster for District 27, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2022.
  14. Staff. "N.J.'S LINE OF SUCCESSION / A SIMPLE FIX", The Press of Atlantic City, November 11, 2002. accessed June 22, 2012. "Thanks to an unusual set of circumstances and a flaw in the state constitution, New Jersey had five different governors over eight days at the beginning of the year. Even for New Jersey, this was pretty bizarre."
  15. Holl, John (June 7, 2005). "School Policy in New Jersey to Take Junk Off Lunch Tray". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  16. Benson, Josh (October 25, 2005). "New Jersey, Used to Having Governors Leave Early, Considers Need for a Lieutenant". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  17. O'Neill, James M.; Stile, Charles (August 14, 2023). "Sen. Richard Codey, NJ's longest-serving legislator and a former governor, is retiring". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  18. Jones, Richard Lezin. "Worth Noting; How Many Governors Does It Take?", The New York Times, January 22, 2006. Accessed January 24, 2022.
  19. "Codey Signs Pay-To-Play Ban into Law" (Press release). Office of the Governor of New Jersey. March 22, 2005.
  20. Editorial. "The Record: Fighting steroid abuse", The Record, March 15, 2010. Accessed June 22, 2012. "Codey's bill would require the state Department of Education and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to randomly test athletes taking part in championship tournaments."
  21. Belson, Ken. "In East Rutherford, N.J., New Football Stadium, but at Whose Cost?", The New York Times, October 10, 2009. Accessed June 24, 2012. "That deal was brokered by Richard J. Codey, the president of the State Senate, who was then acting governor. The agreement broke a logjam among critics on the authority's board who thought the teams were getting a sweetheart deal."
  22. Kelly, Mike. "A sitcom: Slogan's zeroes". The Record, November 1, 2005, accessed April 15, 2007, "Acting Governor Codey could barely contain his disappointment with the proposed "We'll win you over" slogan. Too negative, he complained as he ordered a rewrite. It seems the line caused Codey to recall a desperate moment from his bachelor days, when he asked a hard-to-get woman for a date. She said no, but Codey pleaded for just one date so he could win her over."
  23. Codey Announces Winning State Tourism Slogan, press release dated January 12, 2006, accessed April 15, 2007. "Governor Richard J. Codey today revealed the people's choice for the state's new tourism slogan: 'New Jersey: Come See for Yourself'."
  24. via Reuters. "New Jersey lawmakers approved moratorium on capital punishment", Toledo Blade, January 10, 2006. Accessed June 24, 2012.
  25. David Kocieniewski and David W. Chen, "New Jersey Governor Is Injured in Car Crash", The New York Times, April 13, 2007.
  26. Former Governor Jim McGreevey was the 11th governor in the history of the United States to resign due to a political scandal
  27. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (August 16, 2004). Special Election? Republicans, Independents...yes Democrats...no. (press release)
  28. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (October 1, 2004). Richard Who? (press release)
  29. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (January 10, 2005). “Richard Who?” Weighs in as Underdog (press release)
  30. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (April 13, 2005) The Honeymoon is Over (press release)
  31. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (July 21, 2005). Corzine Leads; Codey Wins (press release)
  32. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (September 27, 2005). No Traction for Challengers (press release)
  33. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (November 22, 2005). Codey a Tough Act (press release)
  34. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (January 12, 2006).Corzine Has Tough Acts to Follow (press release)
  35. Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (September 27, 2011). Christie Approvals Bounce Back (press release)
  36. Margolin, Joshua. "Gov. Corzine's N.J. re-election bid nearly abandoned as White House concerns grew" The Star-Ledger, November 4, 2009.
  37. "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.

External links

New Jersey General Assembly
New constituency Member of the New Jersey Assembly
from the 26th district

1974–1982
Served alongside: Eldridge Hawkins, Mildred Barry Garvin
Succeeded byLeanna Brown
Dean Gallo
New Jersey Senate
Preceded byCarmen Orechio Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 27th district

1982–2024
Succeeded byJohn F. McKeon
Political offices
Preceded byDonald DiFrancesco President of the New Jersey Senate
2002–2008
Served alongside: John Bennett (2002–2004)
Succeeded byBernard Kenny
Preceded byBernard Kenny President of the New Jersey Senate
2008–2010
Succeeded bySteve Sweeney
Preceded byJohn Bennett
Acting
Governor of New Jersey
Acting

2002
Succeeded byJim McGreevey
Preceded byJim McGreevey Governor of New Jersey
2004–2006
Succeeded byJon Corzine
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byJim McGreeveyas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States Succeeded byChris Christieas Former Governor
Presidents of the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey State Flag
Governors of New Jersey
Proprietary Province
East New Jersey
West New Jersey
Dominion of New England
(1688–89)
Royal governors
State
(since 1776)
* Under N.J.S.A. 52:15-5 (as amended in 2005), an acting governor serving for 180 continuous days or more is conferred the title of Governor.
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