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Marge Roukema

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Marge Roukema
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey
In office
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2003
Preceded byAndrew Maguire
Succeeded byScott Garrett
Constituency7th district (1981–1983)
5th district (1983–2003)
Personal details
Born
Margaret Scafati

(1929-09-19)September 19, 1929
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 12, 2014(2014-11-12) (aged 85)
Wyckoff, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRichard Roukema
EducationMontclair State University (BA)

Margaret "Marge" Roukema (née Scafati; September 19, 1929 – November 12, 2014) was an American politician who represented New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-two years as a Republican from 1981 to 2003.

Early life and education

Roukema was born in Newark, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Montclair State College. She also took graduate history courses at Rutgers University–Newark.[1]

Career

Roukema with President Ronald Reagan in 1981
Roukema in 1982

Roukema began her career as a high school American history teacher in the Ridgewood Public Schools. She also served as a member of her Ridgewood School Board, becoming Vice President of the body in 1970.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1980, she challenged three-term incumbent Democratic Congressman Andrew Maguire, and won in what was then the 7th District. She was one of several Republicans swept into office by Reagan's coattails.

After decennial redistricting, Roukema's district was renumbered as the 5th District and became significantly more Republican than its predecessor. She was handily reelected in 1982 and nine more times after that with almost no opposition.

Roukema was a moderate Republican, as was the case with most Republicans from the Northeast. In 1992, she faced a primary challenge from a considerably more conservative Republican, Ira M. Marlowe, Louis Sette. In 1998, another conservative, State Assemblyman Scott Garrett, challenged her in the primary. Roukema managed to fight him off, and did so again in 2000.

Retirement

With the prospect of another primary challenge from Garrett in 2002 (in a district made even more conservative on paper by redistricting), as well as facing the loss of her subcommittee chairs due to caucus term limits, the Ridgewood Republican opted not to seek a 12th term and retired from politics.[2] Garrett won the nomination with 45% of the vote and went on to win the seat, despite Roukema's refusal to endorse him. State Senator Gerald Cardinale, who Roukema endorsed in the primary to succeed her, came in third with 25% of the vote, behind State Assemblyman David C. Russo with 26%.[3][4]

She was an honorary board member of the National Organization of Italian American Women. [citation needed]

Death

On November 12, 2014, Roukema died at Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey at the age of 85. She had Alzheimer's disease.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ROUKEMA, Margaret Scafati | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  2. ^ Staff. "BRIEFING: POLITICS; ROUKEMA RETIRING", The New York Times, November 11, 2001. Accessed January 29, 2011. "Representative Marge Roukema, a leading voice in the Republican Party's moderate wing since her election in 1980, said last week that she would retire after her current term. Ms. Roukema, 72, of Ridgewood, is the longest-serving woman in Congress."
  3. ^ Kocieniewski, David. "Forrester to Represent G.O.P. in Race to Unseat Torricelli", The New York Times, June 5, 2002. Accessed March 30, 2008. "In the Republican primary to replace Representative Marge Roukema, who is retiring from her Fifth Congressional District seat, State Assemblyman E. Scott Garrett, defeated State Senator Gerald Cardinale, whom Mrs. Roukema had endorsed. With all precincts reporting, Mr. Garrett had 46 percent, to 25 percent for Mr. Cardinale and 26 percent for Assemblyman David C. Russo."
  4. ^ "Capital briefs", Human Events, October 28, 2002. Accessed November 1, 2007. "In New Jersey, retiring liberal GOP Rep. Marge Roukema has for months refused to endorse conservative Scott Garrett, the Republican nominee to succeed her in the 5th District."
  5. ^ Marge Roukema, former congresswoman, dies at age 85, njherald.com; accessed November 15, 2014.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 7th congressional district
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 5th congressional district
1983–2003 		Succeeded by
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