Richard Codey


Richard James Codey 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 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".
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.

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.

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 2009 election. Codey is the last person to serve simultaneously as governor and senate president.
On January 9, 2006, Codey became 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.
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. He also successfully negotiated for MetLife Stadium, which was constructed jointly by the New York Giants and New York Jets.
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. Governor Codey openly solicited slogan suggestions from citizens and then choose 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".
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. 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

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. 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 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".
The Obama administration approached Codey in 2009 to consider running for governor in Corzine's place if the incumbent withdrew from his reelection bid, citing polls showing that Codey led Republican Chris Christie. Corzine remained in the race and lost to Christie.
Even after being out of the governor's office for over five years, Codey continued to make headlines as a prospective candidate for that office. In a FDU PublicMind Poll released September 27, 2011, voters were asked "If you could pick a Democrat to run against Chris Christie for governor, who would you prefer?" Richard Codey came up as the most adequate candidate at 18% among other well-known Democrats like Cory Booker and Frank Pallone.

Personal life and death

Codey was married to Mary Jo Codey. The Codeys have two sons together, Kevin and Chris.
Codey died at his home in Roseland, New Jersey, on January 11, 2026, at the age of 79 following a brief illness.

Legacy

In 2005, South Mountain Arena ice rink, located next to Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey, was renamed to Richard J. Codey Arena in his honor.

Electoral history

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly