Marge Roukema

Marge Roukema
Marge Roukema
Member of the ; U.S. House of Representatives ; from New Jersey
	In office; January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Andrew Maguire
Succeeded by	Scott Garrett
Constituency	7th district (1981–1983) ; 5th district (1983–2003)
Personal details
Born	Margaret Scafati; September 19, 1929; Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	November 12, 2014 (aged 85); Wyckoff, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Richard Roukema
Education	Montclair State University (BA); Rutgers University, Newark

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 a graduate of Montclair State College. Her first career was as a teacher in the Ridgewood Public Schools. She began her political career in the local board of education, becoming the vice president of the body in 1970.

Tenure in Congress[]

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, Louis Sette, but defeated him by a 62%–25% margin. 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.^[1] 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%.^[2]^[3]

After Congress[]

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

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.^[4]

References[]

^ 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."
^ 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."
^ "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."
^ Marge Roukema, former congresswoman, dies at age 85, njherald.com; accessed November 15, 2014.

External links[]

Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Andrew Maguire	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 7th congressional district 1981–1983	Succeeded by Matt Rinaldo
Preceded by Millicent Fenwick	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 5th congressional district 1983–2003	Succeeded by Scott Garrett

[1] 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."

[2] 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."

[3] "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."

[4] Marge Roukema, former congresswoman, dies at age 85, njherald.com; accessed November 15, 2014.

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