Editing Richard Codey (section)

{{Short description|American politician (born 1946)}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Richard Codey
| image               = Codey2011 (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Codey in 2011
| office1             = 53rd [[Governor of New Jersey]]
| term_start1         = November 15, 2004
| term_end1           = January 17, 2006
| predecessor1        = [[Jim McGreevey]]
| successor1          = [[Jon Corzine]]
| term_start2         = January 12, 2002
| term_end2           = January 15, 2002<br>Acting
| predecessor2        = [[John O. Bennett]] (acting)
| successor2          = Jim McGreevey
| state_senate3       = New Jersey
| district3           = [[New Jersey's 27th legislative district|27th]]
| term_start3         = January 10, 1982
| term_end3           = January 9, 2024
| predecessor3        = [[Carmen A. Orechio]]
| successor3          = [[John F. McKeon]]
| office4             = 111th and 113th President of the [[New Jersey Senate]]
| term_start4         = January 8, 2008
| term_end4           = January 12, 2010
| predecessor4        = [[Bernard Kenny]]
| successor4          = [[Stephen Sweeney]]
| term_start5         = January 8, 2002
| term_end5           = January 7, 2008 <br>{{small|Co-Presidency with [[John O. Bennett|John Bennett]] until January 13, 2004}}
| predecessor5        = [[Donald DiFrancesco]]
| successor5          = [[Bernard Kenny]]
| office6             = Minority Leader of the [[New Jersey Senate]]
| term_start6         = January 13, 1998
| term_end6           = January 8, 2002
| predecessor6        = [[John A. Lynch Jr.]]
| successor6          = [[Leonard Lance]] <br>{{small|(2004)}}
| state_assembly7     = New Jersey
| district7           = [[New Jersey's 26th legislative district|26th]]
| term_start7         = January 8, 1974
| term_end7           = January 12, 1982
| predecessor7        = Constituency established
| successor7          = [[Leanna Brown]]<br>[[Dean Gallo]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1946|11|27}}
| birth_name          = Richard James Codey
| birth_place         = [[Orange, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Mary Jo Codey|Mary Rolli]]|1981}}
| education           = [[Fairleigh Dickinson University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
}}
'''Richard James Codey''' (born November 27, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 53rd [[governor of New Jersey]] from 2004 to 2006. A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|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 [[New Jersey's 27th legislative district|27th Legislative District]], which covered the western portions of [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]] and the southeastern portion of [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris County]].<!--BEFORE MODIFYING THE NUMBER OF TIMES CODEY HAS SERVED AS ACTING GOVERNOR, NOTE THE FOLLOWING: The above sentence lists only situations where Codey became acting governor due to a permanent gubernatorial vacancy, not when a sitting governor is out of state or temporarily unable to perform their duties as governor. For example, Richard Codey became acting governor on April 12, 2007, but would NOT be listed as another stint as acting governor unless Corzine were to have permanently left office. -->

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.<ref name="stile">O'Neill, James M.; and Stile, Charles. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/14/richard-codey-nj-longest-serving-legislator-retiring-former-governor/70588871007/ "Sen. Richard Codey, NJ's longest-serving legislator and a former governor, is retiring"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', August 14, 2023. Accessed August 16, 2023. "Former governor and state Sen. Richard J. Codey, the longest-serving legislator in New Jersey history, who held the top post for a 14-month period, announced he will be stepping down after 50 years of service. He said he will finish out the Senate term this year and then retire."</ref>