Dick Codey’s impact stretched far beyond the residents of New Jersey during his 50
years of public service.
Codey, who served in the Assembly, the State Senate and as governor, always was
willing to help those who were looking to follow in his footsteps.
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill said Codey, a fellow resident of Essex County, was helpful
to her from the first moment she decided to run for public office.
“I am lucky to call Gov. Codey a mentor and a friend,” she said in a statement. “He was
there from the beginning when I decided to run for Congress, and again when I decided
to run for governor, and I will always carry with me his deep belief that the future of our
state is worth fighting for.”
Codey passed away this weekend at the age of 79.
Sherrill said the state lost a leader and a great public servant who put people first.
“As governor, in the Assembly, and in the State Senate, he used his power to expand
mental health resources, implement stronger gun safety laws to protect communities,
and bolster substance abuse treatment and prevention programs,” she said. “He truly
cared about the people he served.”
Gov. Phil Murphy seconded that emotion.
“If anybody embodied our proud New Jersey values, it was Gov. Dick Codey,” Murphy
said. “He proved that every single day of his life.
“Whether as governor or as the longest-serving lawmaker in New Jersey history, Dick
built a safer, healthier future for all of us. From championing funding for mental health
care and stem cell research to advancing smoke-free indoor spaces in New Jersey,
Dick protected every one of our communities and sought to cultivate the potential of
every one of our neighbors.”
Codey is best remembered for his many decades in the Legislature, but he served out
the remaining 14 months of Gov. Jim McGreevey’s term after McGreevey resigned in
November of 2004.
In fact, it was that time period that helped the state push for the creation of the office of
lieutenant governor.
