Former New Jersey Gov. James Florio, who championed a plan that substantially raised the state’s sales and income taxes leading to his re-election defeat in 1993, died Sunday.
He was 85.
His law partner Doug Steinhardt and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed Florio died in statements Monday.
“Governor Florio was a fighter who never backed down. He was a leader who cared more about the future of New Jersey than his own political fortunes,” Murphy, a fellow Democrat, said in a statement.