NEW JERSEY – Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin honored former Assembly Speaker Garabed “Chuck” Haytaian, who passed away on Nov. 1, by presenting his family with a ceremonial resolution prior to the Assembly voting session Thursday.
“New Jersey has lost a giant, and I have lost a dear friend,” DiMaio (R-Warren) said. “Chuck was the heart and soul of New Jersey politics. His tireless commitment to this state inspired everyone around him, including me.”
Haytaian was first elected to the Assembly in 1981, winning re-election six times. He held several key leadership roles, including minority whip from 1984 to 1985, majority leader from 1986 to 1989 and minority leader from 1990 to 1991. In 1992, Republicans gained 58 Assembly seats on a wave of opposition to higher taxes and Haytaian was elected to serve as Speaker, a position he held through 1996.
His daughter, Debbie Haytaian Snyder, and brother, John Haytaian, accepted the resolution on behalf of the family.
