George Theodore Werts

George Theodore Werts (born March 24, 1846 in Hackettstown , Warren County , New Jersey , † January 17, 1910 ) was an American politician and governor of the state of New Jersey from 1893 to 1896 .

Early years and political advancement

George Werts attended Bordentown High School and the State Model School in Trenton . After a subsequent law degree and his license to practice law, he began in Morristown , where he had moved in 1863, to work in his new profession. Werts became a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1883 and 1885 he was a magistrate ( recorder ) in Morristown. From 1886 to 1892 he was mayor of this city. At the same time he was a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1897 to 1892 . He was also a member of his state's Supreme Court in 1892 and 1893. On November 8, 1892 he was elected the new governor of his state.

Governor of New Jersey

George Werts took up his new office on January 17, 1893. During his three-year term in office, the electoral laws were reformed and a uniform interest rate was set for tax debtors. Otherwise, his term of office was not a good star. A betting scandal rocked the state and the Democratic Party. The governor showed no leadership on the matter, leading to bitter arguments and the end of nearly 30 years of his party's dominance in New Jersey. A corruption scandal uncovered in 1895, in which Democratic members of the legislature were involved, accelerated this development. Werts was not involved in this case, however. Even so, he was the last of nine Democratic governors to hold office since 1869. Between 1896 and 1911 the Republicans then appointed seven governors in a row.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship on January 21, 1896, Werts withdrew from politics. But he continued to work as a lawyer. Governor Werts died on January 17, 1910. He and his wife Emma Stelle had two children.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 3, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Werts, George Theodore
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 24, 1846
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hackettstown , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH	January 17, 1910