Former Gov. Richard J. Codey, who spent fifty years in the New Jersey Legislature – the longest tenure in New Jersey history — and spent fourteen months as the governor of New Jersey, died this morning after an illness. He was 79.
Codey was a liberal Democrat who spent his career as a champion for those in need, especially as an advocate for people with mental health issues. He once went undercover at a state psychiatric hospital and found systemic patient abuse, and later, with the help of a makeup artist, experienced life as a homeless man.
In 2023, abruptly announced his retirement from the Senate in August 2023 after defeating another incumbent in a redistricting-related primary.
“Why? Because it’s time, “said Codey. “Time to step aside and watch the next generation do their thing.”
The Codey made the announcement of his death of Facebook this morning.
“Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather — and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him. Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness. He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others. He spoke the truth when others wouldn’t and fought tirelessly for the people of New Jersey during his record-setting 50 years in the Legislature. He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners,” the statement said. “We take comfort in knowing how many people he helped, inspired and stood up for over the years.”
A former Senate President who served as Governor of New Jersey from November 2004 to January 2006, Codey also holds the record as the state’s longest-serving Senator. He retired in 2023.
Codey came from a politically active family – the Codey’s operated a funeral home — and launched his political career in 1968 as a 21-year-old candidate for a county committee seat in Orange. He lost by four votes but came back to win the seat in 1969.
A protégé of Orange Mayor Nicholas Franco and an aide to State Sen. Frank “Pat” Dodd (D-West Orange), Codey was 26 when he first ran for the State Assembly in 1973.
That was the year New Jersey switched to a 40-district map after four cycles of attempting to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s One-Man, One-Vote decision through a series of unsuccessful apportionments that sought to avoid splitting county boundaries.
The new 26th district included East Orange, Orange, West Orange, and a small part of Newark’s North Ward. The district had two incumbents elected two years earlier: Dodd and Assemblyman Eldridge Hawkins (D-East Orange). Hawkins’ running mate, Assemblyman Peter Stewart (D-Caldwell), who ousted two-term Republican Assemblyman Kenneth Wilson (R-West Orange) in 1971, now lived next-door in the 27th.
Essex County Democratic Chairman Harry Lerner picked Codey to run for the open seat in a safe Democratic district. Still, he faced a primary challenge from George Minish, the son of Rep. Joseph Minish (D-West Orange), and two others.
Codey was the top vote-getter in the primary, running 105 votes ahead of Hawkins and 4,908 in front of Minish. Republicans ran John Trezza, an Orange city commissioner who had lost an Assembly race to Stewart by just 13 votes in 1977, and Monroe Jay Lustbader, an attorney who would later serve as an Essex County freeholder and assemblyman. Codey finished 2,180 votes ahead of Hawkins and beat Trezza by 16,304.
Except for Codey’s 1968 county committee race, he’s never lost an election, although some Democrats have tried to take him out.
When Dodd gave up his State Senate seat to run for Governor in 1981, Codey ran to replace him. He won the Democratic primary with 55% of the vote against West Orange Councilwoman Gayle Rosen (33%) and Orange Councilman James Brown (12%).
Seeking a second term in 1983, Codey faced an expense from Orange Mayor Joel Shain, who largely self-funded his nasty $300,000 campaign. Codey won that primary by 4,125 votes – 63%-19% — with former Essex County Freeholder Russell Fox finishing third with 9% in a five-candidate field.
In 1991, Codey faced another Senate primary – this time from his one-time running mate, former Assemblywoman Mildred Barry Garvin (D-West Orange). A five-term legislator, Essex Democrats had dumped her from the organization line four years earlier. Codey beat her 61%-39%.
Seeking a fifth term in the Senate in 1993, Codey was feuding with Essex County Executive Thomas D’Alessio, the Democratic County Chairman. D’Alessio dropped Codey from the organization line and ran Assemblyman Robert Brown, who was also the mayor of Orange, against him.
Codey formed his own ticket and an alliance with East Orange Mayor Cardell Cooper – also on the outs with D’Alessio – and beat Brown by 4,885 votes (60%-40%). Codey swept in his two running mates, LeRoy Jones and Nia Gill, against the D’Alessio slate.
After that, Codey easily vanquished any opponents.
After redistricting put Codey and Gill in the same district, Codey defeated her in the 2023 Democratic primary by a 47%-43% margin.
Codey served as Senate Minority Leader for four years before Democrats picked up enough seats in the upper house to bring the Senate to a 20-20 tie in 2001. Codey and Republican John O. Bennett III served as Co-Senate Presidents for two years before Democrats took control after the 2003 election, and Codey became Senate President for six years.
He served as acting governor for 84 hours in January 2002, between the time DiFrancesco left office and newly-elected James E. McGreevey was sworn in.
Following McGreevey’s resignation in 2004, Codey became the Governor of New Jersey. He served from November 2004 until January 2006. He returned as acting governor for 25 days after Gov. Jon Corzine was seriously injured in a 2007 automobile accident.
After the 2009 election, Codey lost the Senate Presidency to Steve Sweeney.
Legislative records
Assemblyman Richard J. Codey, 29, takes a drink of milk during a legislative session in 1976. He was serving his second term at the time. (Photo: Warren Kruse/David Wildstein Collection).
For a while, Codey’s record as the longest-serving legislator was held by Robert Littell, a Sussex County Republican elected to the Assembly in 1967 and the Senate in 1990. He served 40 years in the legislature before his retirement after the 2007 election. Codey took the record from Littell in January 2014 when he began his 41st year.
Littell took the record in May 1982 from the legendary William Vincent Musto, who served as an assemblyman from 1947 to 1966, the senate from 1966 until 1982 – he was in his 35th year in Trenton when he was removed from office — and 16 years as the mayor of Union City. Another New Jersey legend, Atlantic County Republican boss Frank “Hap” Farley, spent three years in the Assembly and 31 in the Senate, losing his bid for re-election in 1971.
Gerald Cardinale, who died in office last year at the start of his 42nd year in the legislature, ranks second behind Codey in his total years of service. Cardinale was elected to the Assembly in 1979 and the Senate in 1981; he and Codey entered the Senate together in January 1982.
Codey also is tied for third as the state’s longest-serving legislative leader. He spent four years as Senate Minority Leader, two years as Co-Senate President, and six years as Senate President. Republican Donald DiFrancesco was the Senate Minority Leader from 1982 to 1984 and the Senate President from 1992 to 2002. Democrat Joseph Doria Joe Doria was the Assembly Speaker for two years and Minority Leader for a decade.
The record for longest-serving legislative leader is fourteen years, and the record holders left office after the 2021 election: Democrat Steve Sweeney was Senate Majority Leader from 2008 to 2010 and Senate President from 2020 to 2022. Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. was Senate Minority Leader from 2008 to 2022. Sweeney was defeated, and Kean gave up his seat to focus on a run for Congress.
Two Republicans, Chuck Haytaian and Jack Collins, are tied for fifth place. Haytaian was Assembly Majority Leader from 1986 to 1990, Minority Leader from 1990 to 1992, and Speaker from 1992 to 1996. Collins was Assembly Majority Leader from 1992 to 1996 and Speaker from 1996 to 2002, and is the fifth-longest-serving legislative leader.
Following her resignation in 2021, five days before the end of her term, Loretta Weinberg is now in seventh place. She had served as Senate Majority Leader since 2012.
