Maplewood's own Ray Durkin, an Essex County political powerbroker, passed away this week.
If you missed it, here is the NJ.com story:
Ray Durkin, a pillar of state and Essex County Democratic politics
for decades with deep family ties to the party, died Tuesday, politickernj.com reported. He was 78 years old and had been suffering from illness, the site said.
“We affectionately described Ray Durkin as being a member of the Old
Guard because he had so much experience in Democratic politics. He was a
remarkable strategist, leader and mentor who tutored generations of
young Democrats, including me,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo
said in a statement to NJ Advanced Media Tuesday night.
It later added:
Durkin’s rise in Democratic politics continued with his appointment,
in 1980, to Essex County party chair. Five years later, he became chair
of the state Democratic committee, when Shapiro lost the race for
governor to Republican Tom Kean. Durkin also played a role in getting
James Florio nominated in 1989 and helped Ron Brown become the national
party chair that same year.
The Maplewood resident formally retired from politics in the early
1990s but continued to play an active part in shaping the direction of
the party -- a role reinforced by his family ties.
Among his five children is Chris Durkin, the Essex County Clerk for
most of the last decade. His wife Joan is a cousin of state Sen. and
former governor Richard Codey, another stalwart of Irish-American Essex
County politics. Joan Durkin has also served as county tax commissioner.
Read the rest HERE.
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