New Jersey’s Richard Codey, who died Sunday, remembered as dedicated public servant

Leaders across New Jersey are paying homage to Richard J. Codey, the state’s longest-serving lawmaker and former governor. His family announced on Facebook that Codey passed away Sunday morning after a brief illness.

The Essex County Democrat was first elected to the Legislature in 1973 as assemblyman. He was elected to the Senate in 1981 and left in 2024, after deciding not to run for reelection.

When he was Senate president, Codey served as acting governor at three different times, including when Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004. New Jersey did not have a lieutenant governor until 2010.

New Jersey officials are remembering Codey, 79, as a dedicated public servant, who, among other issues, championed mental health awareness, funding for stem cell research and an indoor smoking ban in most places.

Gov. Phil Murphy said, in a statement, Codey “built a safer, healthier future for all of us,” whether he was governor or as a lawmaker.

“Dick protected every one of our communities and sought to cultivate the potential of every one of our neighbors,” he said.

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said she was fortunate to have called Codey a mentor and a friend who stood by her during her run for Congress and again for governor.

“He truly cared about the people he served,” she said in a statement. “I will always carry with me his deep belief that the future of our state is worth fighting for.”

In the Senate, one of his successors as Senate president, Nicholas P. Scutari, said Codey “gained the trust and respect of other public officials and made friends with Presidents just as easily as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

“In this time of sadness, we can take comfort in knowing of the countless people he helped, inspired and stood with over the years,” he said, in a statement.

Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz called her former colleague “a true legend” who was a “loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, passionate basketball coach, a proud Seton Hall fan, and a tireless public servant.”

“No one did more to fight the stigma surrounding mental health or to champion the needs of those living with mental health challenges,” she said, in a statement. “His leadership transformed how our state supports individuals and families affected by mental illness, and will continue to save lives for generations to come.”

Codey also earned respect from across the aisle. Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco said he came to know Codey “as a true friend and someone who led with humility, kindness, and humor.”

“We worked together on many important issues that helped move New Jersey forward,” he said in a statement. “He leaves behind a lasting legacy of service and integrity that will be felt for generations.”