Richard “Dick” Codey, the longest-serving legislator in New Jersey history and a former acting governor, died Sunday at age 79.
At a Glance
- Codey died at home after a brief illness, his wife confirmed
- He served in the Assembly from 1974, the Senate from 1982, and as Senate president 2002-2010
- He held the governor’s office three separate times, totaling roughly 16 months
- Why it matters: Codey shaped modern New Jersey through mental-health advocacy, indoor-smoking bans, and stem-cell funding
His wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed his death to Daniel J. Whitman. The family announced the news on Codey’s official Facebook page:
“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness.”
They added: “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.”
A Political Career Spanning Five Decades
Codey entered public office in 1974 when he won a seat in the New Jersey Assembly. Eight years later he moved to the Senate, where he would remain for the rest of his life. Between 2002 and 2010 he served as Senate president, a role that twice thrust him into the governor’s office under state succession law.
The son of a northern New Jersey funeral-home owner, Codey built a reputation as a feisty, plain-spoken politician who championed causes often overlooked by colleagues.
Three Terms as Acting Governor
Codey first assumed the governorship in early 2002 after Christine Todd Whitman resigned to join President George W. Bush’s administration. His second, longer stint came when Gov. Jim McGreevey stepped down in 2004. Codey served 14 months until a special election could be held.
He took the oath a third time in April 2007 when Gov. Jon Corzine was incapacitated following a serious car accident. Codey held the office for nearly a month while Corzine recovered.
Polls during his tenure routinely showed high approval ratings. He weighed a bid for a full term in 2005 but bowed out when Democratic power brokers rallied behind wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine.
Signature Policy Wins
Codey’s legislative legacy includes several landmark measures:
- Mental-health parity: He pushed expansion of services and insurance coverage, drawing on his wife’s public battle with postpartum depression
- Indoor-smoking ban: He sponsored the 2006 law that eliminated smoking in most public places statewide
- Stem-cell funding: He fought for state investment in research despite federal restrictions during the Bush era
After leaving the governor’s office he returned to the Senate and published a memoir recounting his decades in public life.
Personal Life and Final Years
Codey and Mary Jo often spoke openly about her postpartum depression, a stance that drew both praise and criticism. In 2005 the couple clashed with a talk-radio host who mocked Mary Jo on air. Codey, at the station for another interview, confronted the host and later acknowledged saying he wished he could “take him outside.” The host claimed Codey threatened to “take him out,” a charge Codey denied.
Mary Jo told Daniel J. Whitman her husband never wavered in supporting her advocacy: “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.'”
The family remembered Codey as a man equally comfortable with presidents and late-night diner patrons. “He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” they wrote.
Key Takeaways
- Richard Codey served New Jersey for 49 consecutive years, longer than any legislator in state history
- He occupied the governor’s office three separate times, steering policy through turbulent periods
- His advocacy reshaped mental-health care, public-health rules, and scientific research funding in New Jersey
- He died at home Sunday, surrounded by family, after a brief illness
