Former Gov. Richard Codey, stepping down this month after a half-century in state office, spoke with NJ Spotlight News to reflect on his time in Trenton.
Codey spent 42 years as a state senator, plus eight years in the Assembly before that. His most significant years were as the Senate’s president, when he served as governor for 14 months in the wake of former Gov. Jim McGreevey’s 2004 resignation. Codey’s career was highlighted by his support for mental health services and issues, a statewide ban on smoking indoors, and a penchant for going “undercover” as governor to highlight shortfalls in public agencies, including a Newark shelter and a state psychiatric hospital.
When asked why anyone would spend 50 years in state government, Codey said: “Everyday you’re helping people, dealing with people. . . I’m blessed in many, many ways.”
Codey also had a reputation for calling out and fighting with Democratic party bosses in the state, although in his final election, he ultimately benefited from being the political favorite when redistricting pitted him against another incumbent, former Sen. Nia Gill. He easily topped Gill in the primary, but subsequently withdrew from the general election.
