Former Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian has died at the age of 86

Garabed “Chuck” Haytaian, the gregarious, insightful, unpretentious, one-time dry cleaner from Hackettstown who, as Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly, wielded considerable power in state politics and came close to winning a seat in the United States Senate in 1994, died today. He was 86 years old.

Haytaian spent fourteen years as an assemblyman, representing portions of Warren, Sussex, and Hunterdon counties, and served as Republican state chairman from 1995–2001. As a conservative, he became a key ally of the state’s moderate governor, Christine Todd Whitman, who served two terms. .

In 1994, he challenged two-term U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg and lost by 67,243 votes, 50–47%. This election occurred during Bill Clinton’s first midterm elections, when Republicans won majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Chuck has grown from a Bronx-born child of Armenian Genocide survivors into a household name throughout the Garden State,” said Governor Phil Murphy.

Longtime Assembly minority friend John DiMario recalled that Haytaian was a high school mentor in the early 1970s.

“From the very beginning, Chuck’s passion for serving the community and his commitment to integrity have had a lasting impact on me,” said DiMaio. “He helped me lead when I was just starting out and never gave up on challenging me to move forward.”

Haytaian, a proud Armenian-American, became an active president of his local Kiwanis club and was elected to the Mansfield school board.

In 1974, Haytaian lost his bid for Warren County Freeholder by approximately 700 votes, 52%-48%, after Democrat Benjamin Bosco led the Watergate Democratic wave to victory. He ran again in 1975 and defeated Democrat Christopher Maier by about 40 votes.

Citing the low salary and long hours, Bosco resigned after thirteen months in office, and while governors, with the advice and consent of the Senate, were filling freeholder vacancies, Governor Brendan Byrne nominated Maier for the position. Haytaian went to state Sen. Wayne Dumont (Phillipsburg) and asked him to block the nomination as a courtesy to the senator. Dumont refused, causing a grudge between them that lasted until Dumont’s death in 1992.

In 1978, Haytaian was considering challenging two-term Rep. Helen Meyner (D-Phillipsburg), the former First Lady of New Jersey, in a heavily Republican district. Instead, he decided to run for re-election to the Free Country board and endorsed the eventual winner: James Courter, former first assistant Warren County prosecutor.

Seeking re-election, Haytaian unseated Michael Perrucci, 62–37%. Perrucci later became the Democratic county chairman and a partner in a powerful New Jersey law firm, as well as a friend of Haytaian.

As the only Republican on the three-member Warren County Board of Freeholders, Haytaian became director-owner because the two Democrats, Ray Stem and Maier, were not on speaking terms.

After Warren County Clerk Harry Snyder died in late 1978, Haytaian said he was not interested in the job.

Instead, Haytaian focused on Trenton.

Three-term Assemblyman Donald Albanese (R-Belvidere) was giving up his seat to run for governor – he ultimately resigned and unsuccessfully ran against Dumont in the Senate primary – and Haytaian decided he wanted to run for Assembly.

He joined forces with veteran Assemblyman Robert Littell (R-Franklin). In the Republican primary, they faced Sparta Mayor Mark Memoly and Louis Naleboff, who worked in Warren County as a microfilm operator. Haytaian won by a margin of 2:1. In the general election, Littell and Haytaian easily defeated Democrats Joseph Daly and David Bogert by a margin of more than 2-1.

Haytaian immediately became popular and influential among his GOP colleagues.

In January 1984, Haytaian participated in a coup among Republican Assembly members that removed four members of the leadership team – Marie Muhler (Marlboro right), Anthony Villane (Eatontown right), Karl Weidel (Pennington right). ) and Joseph Chinnici (on the right). R-Bridgeton) – in a contest in which five of the eight leadership elections required runoffs. The move weakened Assembly Minority Leader Dean Gallo (R-Parsippany), who was elected to Congress later that year; which initiated the promotion of Deputy Minority Leader Chuck Hardwick (R-Westfield) to minority leader in 1985 and led to Haytaian’s election as deputy minority leader in 1985.

After Republicans, boosted by Governor Tom Kean’s 70 percent re-election support, won fourteen seats in the Assembly and won a majority for the first time in twelve years. Hardwick became speaker and Haytaian was majority leader.

In 1989, Haytaian faced a serious GOP primary challenge from former Sussex County prosecutor George Daggett, a cousin of longshoreman union leader Harold Daggett, and Wallace Wirths, a radio commentator and philanthropist whose son, Hal Wirths, was later a member gatherings. Littell (11,925) and Haytaian (11,588) defeated Wirths (7,770) and Daggett (5,541).

Democrats flipped the Assembly in 1989 and Haytaian became minority leader. Following Gov. Jim Florio’s $1.8 tax increase, there was a grassroots revolt that helped Republicans win 21 seats in the Assembly and return to the majority under Haytaian’s leadership.

After redistricting in 1991, Haytaian became a candidate for Assemblyman Leonard Lance (Clinton Township), a future congressman.

Less than a week after Whitman ousted Florio in the 1993 gubernatorial election, Haytaian attempted to challenge Lautenberg.

Potential primary rivals, including Reps. Dick Zimmer (R-Delaware), Marge Roukema (Ridgewood) and state Sen. Bill Gormley (R-Margate) decided not to run; Haytaian defeated former state senator Brian Kennedy (R-Sea Girt) in the GOP primary, 67%-33%.

Haytaian accused Lautenberg of losing touch with New Jersey – during the debate he asked the senator to name 21 counties – said he was soft on crime, opposed federal spending cuts and sharply criticized him for refusing to release his tax returns. Lautenberg called Haytaian a career politician.

At the start of the campaign, Haytaian met with Charles Lazarus, the founder of Toys R Us, who died yesterday at the age of 94. Lazarus was a Democrat, but his company was based in New Jersey, where Republicans controlled almost everything. Haytaian wanted Lazarus to help him raise money.

Haytaian arrived in Paramus, where Toys R Us – after growing sales 10% and having 835 successful retail stores worldwide – was headquartered. He was running a little early, so he stopped at one of the malls and came across a cheap men’s store – Rogers, I think – that was going out of business and had heavily discounted their already cheap suits.

After shopping, Haytaian arrives at Toys R Us and is ushered into billionaire Lazarus’s office, where the first thing he said was something like, “Charlie, you have to go to the mall. I just bought four suits for $250, but there aren’t many left. You must go there immediately.”

After losing the Senate race, Haytaian declined to seek re-election to the Assembly in 1995 and instead became Republican state chairman, a position he held until 2001.

In 2003, he sought a political comeback as a candidate for the State Assembly, but finished third in the Republican primary, behind incumbents Michael Doherty (11,495) and Connie Myers (10,830). Haytaian received 5,289 votes.

“Speaker Haytaian was a dedicated public servant and a staunch fighter for those who suffered during the Armenian Genocide,” Bucco said. “Chuck was a good man and a close family friend who left a lasting mark on Garden State politics for the better. This is a sad day for New Jersey – my deepest condolences to his family and friends.”