Historic Quote: “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”
Will Rogers

Between 1954 and 1982, New Jersey was governed by a Republican for just four years. Some may consider that surprising given that, during that period, the “Garden State” voted for a Democratic president just twice, one of those times (1960, by the narrowest of margins). His name was William Cahill and he rode into office on a landslide victory over the unpopularity of tax increases that his Democratic predecessor, Richard J. Hughes, had proposed. Little did he know that this would be his undoing just four years later.

Cahill was born to Irish immigrants and put himself through Rutgers Law School. Eventually, he was an FBI agent who was investigating illegal gambling in Bergen County.

What is also remarkable about Cahill becoming Governor is that early in life, he seemed to develop a disdain for politics simply, well, by trying it. He won a seat in the General Assembly in 1951 and served just one term, opting to return to his law practice. But by 1958, Cahill was persuaded to seek a Congressional seat in Camden County.

It was not a Republican year. In fact, the Eisenhower midterm was among the most brutal the party would endure in history. But Cahill eked out a 2,000 vote victory and kept it with a voting record smack in the center, particularly on the issue of Civil Rights. He’d use his seat on Judiciary to advance areas close to his background, such as consumer protection and crime.

Some Republicans had hoped to entice Cahill into a run for Governor as early as 1965 but he resisted. By ’69, it was a different story. Cahill had to battle three Republicans to win his party’s nod, including Charles Sandman, his fellow Congressman who shared his geographic base. But Cahill had the support of Nelson Gross, the Bergen County Chair (and future U.S. Senate candidate), who had engineered Nixon’s win in the “Garden State: the year before. Cahill edged Sandman 39-36%.

The general election was not Cahill’s to lose. He was facing ex-Governor Bob Meyner, who had revitalized the state Democratic party and had helped to modernize the state when it came to mass transit. But the GOP called the accomplishments “do-little” and called himself “the” man to make things happen. Their slogan was “16 years downhill: Time to go Cahill.”

But Hughes’ proposed tax increase was ultimately on the voters mind, and that and change was a powerful message. It enabled Cahill to sweep to a 500,000 vote victory, carrying 20 of 21 counties and devastating Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. The once dominant Democrats were reduced to nine of 40 seats in the Senate, and 21 of 80 in the Assembly, well more than a 2/3 majority.

Cahill (www.nj.com)

Cahill was greeted by a $268 million deficit, which he would rid by proposing a two cent sales tax increase, on which the Legislature acquiesced. Cahill created the Division of Criminal Justice and put prosecutors in the six most populous counties.

On education, he signed into law legislation to provide aid to municipalities with numerous poor children. Rutgers Medical School was merged with the University of Medicine and Dentistry. The state lottery was enacted, as were car emission standards. He promoted drug education and treatment and increased funding for medical ailments, including chronic renal disease. He signed a campaign disclosure bill and a major state oversight bill of flood plains. And he enacted consumer protection, land acquisition, and wetlands protection.

And it was in that period that the New York Giants were wooed to New Jersey, as the Hackensack facility was built. Differences within the parties during Cahill’s tenure were more stylistic than ideological, but on many issues, Cahill could just as easily have been a Democrat. And some were even mentioning him as a possible replacement to Spiro Agnew in the ticket.

But then things started going awry. In the midterm elections, Republicans lost seats in both Houses. The Assembly majority was lost completely, but Democrats only had a one vote majority (40-39, with one Independent). But four Hudson County Democrats voted for the GOP candidate for Speaker — a future Governor by the name of Tom Kean. Two of Cahill’s confidantes, including the Secretary of State, were charged with bribery.

Cahill (Ebay)

Voters rejected a bond issue to expand the highway and mass transit system. But taxes were still a problem. The New Jersey Supreme Court declared the school funding system to be unconstitutional, and ordered the state to come up with a new formula. Cahill’s budget contained a slight budget deficit. A committee had decided that a series of taxes (including an income tax and property tax increase) was the best remedy to address these issues. For months, Cahill took a wait and see approach before opting to back the recommendations. But the Legoslature rejected them by huge margins. The voters did the same when Cahill brought it before them.

Sandman was back again, his third straight try for the nomination. He brandished Cahill on the corruption charges to which the Governor responded, “I have enough confidence in the people of New Jersey that they know Bill Cahill is honest and that they know Bill Cahill has done his best to root out corruption in every area.” But more indictments would loom before the June primary.

Cahill called himself a “fighter” and cited polls that he would be best positioned to beat the Democratic nominee in November. Cahill attacked Sandman’s proposal of an oil port in the Raritan Bay, on which he said he was “amazed” to read of. Most GOP officeholders had stuck with Cahill, though his ideological role-model, Senator Cliff Case, stayed neutral. Sandman beat Cahill 60-40%, losing all but five counties (and with Watergate looming, get slaughtered in November.

In his concession, Cahill said, “I stand before you with my head held high. I went in fighting and I went out fighting.” Cahill initially refused to give his backing to Sandman but ultimately did two weeks later (“I am a Republican. I intend to remain a Republican.” It made little difference. Before leaving office, Cahill named his predecessor, Hughes, the Democrat, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. And he asked the Legislature to provide “moral support” to what would become the famous Meadowlands complex.

He died in 1996 at 84.

Bill Cahill’s career did not culminate as he would have liked. But the success he brought to the “Garden State” on many levels was indelible. And his legacy will be thus.