Former New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio, a Democrat whose infamous tax hikes in 1990 cost him a second term, but who is today often lauded for his achievements on gun control and the environment, died Sunday night. He was 85.
Former Governor of New Jersey, Jim Florio, stands in the Assembly chamber of the Statehouse during an event Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in Trenton, N.J. | Mel Evans/AP PhotoFormer New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio, a Democrat whose infamous tax hikes in 1990 cost him a second term,
Born in Brooklyn in 1935 to a blue collar family, Florio dropped out of high school but earned his equivalency degree from New Jersey while serving in the U.S. Navy and competing as a middleweight amateur boxer. He eventually graduated from Trenton State College and Rutgers Law School in Camden. In 1977, he ran for governor the first time, unsuccessfully challenging Democratic incumbent Brendan Byrne in the primary. Florio became the Democratic nominee 1981, losing to Republican Tom Kean by less than 2,000 votes — the narrowest gubernatorial margin in New Jersey history. In 1989, he ran for governor for a third time and defeated Republican Jim Courter in a landslide election that saw Democrats flip the Assembly to take full control of the Statehouse.
Facing budget deficits and school funding demands, Florio signed multi-billion dollar income and sales tax hikes. While Florio stressed that only 17 percent of New Jerseyans would pay higher income taxes, the increases — and particularly an extension of the state sales tax to include, among other things, toilet paper — led to revolt and massive protests at the Statehouse, spurred on by a then little-known radio station, 101.5 FM.
The unpopularity of Florio’s policies led to a disastrous midterm for Democrats in 1991, with Republicans flipping the Assembly and Senate with veto-proof majorities. Democrats would not regain control of the Assembly for another 10 years and the Senate for 12.
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