Garabed “Chuck” Haytaian was a gregarious, savvy, unpretentious onetime dry cleaner from Hackettstown; As Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly, he 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 served as an alderman representing parts of Warren, Sussex, and Hunterdon counties for fourteen years and was the State Republican Chairman from 1995 to 2001. A conservative, he became a key ally of the state’s moderate two-term governor, Christine Todd Whitman. .

He challenged two-term U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg in 1994 and lost 50%-47% with 67,243 votes. This election took place during Bill Clinton’s first midterm elections, in which Republicans gained majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Chuck went from being the Bronx-born son of Armenian Genocide survivors to a household name in the Garden State,” said Governor Phil Murphy.

House Minority Leader John DiMario, a longtime friend, recalled serving as Haytaian’s high school mentor in the early 1970s.

“From the beginning, Chuck’s passion for serving the public and commitment to integrity left a lasting impression on me,” DiMaio said. “He guided me when I was just starting out and never stopped challenging me to improve.”

A proud Armenian American, Haytaian became active as president of the local Kiwanis Club and was elected to the Mansfield school board.

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

Bosco resigned after thirteen months on the job, citing low pay and too many hours, and Governor Brendan Byrne nominated Maier to fill the seat, at a time when governors were filling vacant freeholder positions with the advice and consent of the Senate. Haytaian went to State Sen. Wayne Dumont (R-Phillipsburg) and asked him to use the senatorial courtesy to block the nomination. Dumont refused, and the two developed a grudge that lasted until Dumont died in 1992.

In 1978, Haytaian considered challenging two-term Rep. Helen Meyner (D-Phillipsburg), the former First Lady of New Jersey, in a strongly Republican district. Instead, he chose to seek re-election to the freeholders’ board and endorsed the eventual winner: former First Assistant Warren County Prosecutor James Courter.

Haytaian trailed Michael Perrucci 62 percent to 37 percent in his re-election bid. Perrucci later became the Democratic district chairman and a partner in a powerful law firm in New Jersey and a friend of Haytaian.

Haytaian, the only Republican on the three-member Warren County Board of Freeholders, became the freeholder manager after the two Democrats, Ray Stem and Maier, did not speak to each other.

After Warren County Clerk Harry Snyder died in late 1978, Haytaian said he had no interest in the business.

Haytaian focused on Trenton instead.

Three-term Assemblyman Donald Albanese (R-Belvidere) was giving up his seat to run for governor — he eventually dropped out and unsuccessfully challenged Dumont in the Senate primary — and Haytaian decided he wanted to run for the Assembly.

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

Haytaian immediately became popular and influential among his GOP colleagues.

In January 1984, Haytaian was part of a coup among Republican legislators that ousted four members of the leadership team — Marie Muhler (R-Marlboro), Anthony Villane (R-Eatontown), Karl Weidel (R-Pennington) and Joseph Chinnici. R-Bridgeton) – in a contest where five of the eight leadership elections require runoff elections. The move weakened House Minority Leader Dean Gallo (R-Parsippany), who was elected to Congress later that year; This led to the elevation of Deputy Minority Leader Chuck Hardwick (R-Westfield) as minority leader in 1985 and led to the election of Haytaian as deputy minority leader in 1985.

Buoyed by a 70% landslide in Governor Tom Kean’s re-election, Republicans won fourteen House seats and had a majority for the first time in twelve years. Hardwick became speaker and Haytaian was majority leader.

Haytaian was defeated in 1989 by a major GOP primary challenge from former Sussex County District Attorney George Daggett, a cousin of longshoremen’s union leader Harold Daggett, and radio commentator and philanthropist Wallace Wirths, whose son Hal Wirths later served as an alderman. faced. Littell (11.925) and Haytaian (11.588) beat Wirths (7.770) and Daggett (5.541).

Democrats flipped the House in 1989 and Haytaian became minority leader. Gov. Jim Florio’s $1.8 tax increase sparked a grassroots revolt that helped Republicans pick up 21 seats in the House and return Haytaian to the majority as speaker.

After redistricting in 1991, Haytaian became the running mate of future congressman Assemblyman Leonard Lance (R-Clinton Township).

Less than a week after Whitman unseated Florio in the 1993 gubernatorial election, Haytaian launched his bid to challenge Lautenberg.

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

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

Sometime early in the campaign, Haytaian had a meeting with Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus, who died yesterday at the age of 94. Lazarus was a Democrat, but his company was located in New Jersey, where Republicans controlled almost everything. Haytaian asked Lazarus to help him raise money.

Haytaian arrives in Paramus, where Toys R Us is headquartered, which has enjoyed a 10% increase in sales and has 835 thriving retail stores worldwide. He was running a little early, so he stopped at one of the malls and came across a low-end men’s store – I think it was Rogers – that had gone out of business and was having a huge discount on its already cheap suits.

After shopping, Haytaian arrives at Toys R Us and is taken into billionaire Lazarus’ office. The first thing he said here was: “Charlie, you need to go down to the mall. I bought four suits for $250, but there weren’t many left. You need to go there immediately.”

After losing the Senate race, Haytaian declined re-election to the House in 1995 and instead became the Republican Speaker of the House, a position he held until 2001.

He sought a political comeback as a candidate for the State House in 2003, but finished third in the Republican primary behind incumbent Michale Doherty (11,495) and Connie Myers (10,830). Haytaian received 5,289 votes.

“Speaker Haytaian was a dedicated public servant and a fierce warrior for those who suffered during the Armenian Genocide,” Bucco said. “Chuck was a good man and close family friend who left a lasting mark on Garden State politics in a positive way. It’s a sad day for New Jersey; “I extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends.”