Editing Richard Codey (section)

== New Jersey Senate ==
Codey was first elected to the [[New Jersey Senate|State Senate]] in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidernj.com/dick-codeys-finest-hour/|title=Dick Codey’s Finest Hour - Insider NJ}}</ref> 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.<ref name=NJLEG>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/82/senator-codey Senator Richard J. Codey], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 28, 2022.</ref> Codey also has a hockey arena named in his honor, also known as [[South Mountain Arena]] in [[West Orange, New Jersey]].

=== Return to Senate service ===
[[File:Codey3.jpg|thumb|Codey in October 2008]] 
Codey became acting governor of New Jersey upon the resignation of [[Jim McGreevey]] on November 15, 2004.<ref name=codeypromotion /> He served the remainder of McGreevey's unexpired term, remaining governor until January 17, 2006.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/governor/is-murphy-really-new-jerseys-56th-governor-we-have-no-color-on-that/|title=Is Murphy really New Jersey’s 56th governor? We have no color on that|first=David|last=Wildstein|date=February 7, 2022|website=New Jersey Globe}}</ref>

Instead of running for a full term as governor, Codey was re-elected to the [[New Jersey Senate]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/elections/2007/11/27th_district_codey_seeks_anot.html|title=27th District: Codey wins easily|first=Dan |last=Murphy|date=November 7, 2007|website=NJ.com}}</ref> 

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".<ref name="stile" />

In December 2016, Codey was one of several [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] legislators who supported legislation legalizing [[assisted suicide]].<ref>Alex, Patricia. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2016/12/13/catholic-lawmakers-support-assisted-suicide-despite-faith/95066158/ "Catholic lawmakers support assisted suicide despite faith"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|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."</ref>