Richard James Codey (November 27, 1946 – January 11, 2026) was 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 and education
Codey was born on November 27, 1946, in Orange, New Jersey, where his family owned a funeral home. He attended Our Lady of the Valley High School and transferred to Orange High School before switching to Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, from which he graduated.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."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."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.)"
Codey took over his father's job as a licensed funeral director. When his father, Donald, became the county coroner, Codey was drafted to help with death scene pickups. Codey remembered, "I was 14, taking bodies out of train wrecks. You grow up quick".Richard J. Codey NNDB Biography
In 1981, he earned a bachelor's degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
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.
New Jersey Senate Codey was first elected to the State Senate in 1981. He rose through the ranks to become Senate President. He first ascended to that post in 2002 and remained in it until 2010. He served on the Legislative Services Commission.Senator Richard J. Codey, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
Return to Senate service
Codey became acting governor of New Jersey upon the resignation of Jim McGreevey on November 15, 2004. He served the remainder of McGreevey's unexpired term, remaining governor until January 17, 2006.
Instead of running for a full term as governor, Codey was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2007.
In 2009, Codey "was ousted from the Senate president post in a deal brokered by South Jersey Democratic Party leader George E. Norcross III, the state's most powerful unelected Democrat and Codey's arch political enemy for years".
In December 2016, Codey was one of several Catholic legislators who supported legislation legalizing assisted suicide.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."
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 to serve as acting governor within the one-year period between Whitman's resignation and Jim McGreevey's inauguration in January 2002. Codey served in that capacity for three days, from January 12, 2002, to January 15, 2002.
2004 to 2006 Codey became acting governor again with the resignation of Jim McGreevey on November 15, 2004.
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.
On November 8, 2005, a constitutional amendment creating the position of lieutenant governor of New Jersey was passed. The amendment took effect in the 2009 election. Codey is 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.Jones, Richard Lezin. "Worth Noting; How Many Governors Does It Take?", The New York Times, January 22, 2006. Accessed January 24, 2022.
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.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." He also successfully negotiated for MetLife Stadium, which was constructed jointly by the New York Giants and New York Jets.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."
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.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." Governor Codey openly solicited slogan suggestions from citizens and then chose 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".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'."
Shortly before leaving the governor's office, Codey signed the state's first legislative moratorium on capital punishment enacted by any state in the nation.via Reuters. "New Jersey lawmakers approved moratorium on capital punishment", Toledo Blade, January 10, 2006. Accessed June 24, 2012. The moratorium ended with the permanent ban of capital punishment by Codey's successor, Jon Corzine.
Codey served the remainder of McGreevey's unexpired term, remaining governor until January 17, 2006.
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.David Kocieniewski and David W. Chen, "New Jersey Governor Is Injured in Car Crash", The New York Times, April 13, 2007. Corzine resumed his duties as governor on May 7, 2007.
Public opinion summary As Codey prepared to leave the governor's office, a January 2006 study 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 the 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".Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (January 12, 2006).Corzine Has Tough Acts to Follow (press release)