Raymond Bateman

Raymond H. "Ray" Bateman (October 29, 1927 – June 25, 2016) was an American politician, who represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Senate in the 1960s and 1970s and was the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1977. He was the father of Christopher Bateman who now occupies the same Senate district he held.

Raymond H. Bateman
President of the New Jersey Senate
In office January 13, 1970 – January 11, 1972
Preceded by	Frank X. McDermott
Succeeded by	Alfred N. Beadleston
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 16th district
In office January 8, 1974 – January 10, 1978
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	John H. Ewing
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 8th district
In office January 9, 1968 – January 8, 1974
Preceded by	William E. Ozzard
Succeeded by	District eliminated
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the Somerset County district
In office November 1958 – January 9, 1968
Preceded by	William E. Ozzard
Succeeded by	District eliminated
Personal details
Born	October 29, 1927 Somerville, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	June 25, 2016 (aged 88) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Joan Speer Bateman (m. ?–2003) (her death)
Children	Five
Residence	Branchburg Township, New Jersey
Alma mater	Wesleyan University

Bateman was born on October 29, 1927 in Somerville, New Jersey and was a lifelong resident of Somerset County. He graduated from Somerville High School in 1945 and Wesleyan University in 1950. He also was a veteran of the U.S. Army and attended the graduate program at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.[1]

He served as executive director of the Republican State Committee from 1954 to 1958. He entered the New Jersey General Assembly in November 1958, serving as the lone Assemblyman from Somerset County (at the time, Assembly districts were apportioned by counties' populations) going on to serve as assistant majority leader in 1964 and majority leader in 1965. Bateman sponsored the 1962 legislation that established New Jersey's county-based community college system.[2] He was elected to the New Jersey Senate in 1967 and was reelected in 1971 from the 8th Legislative District which consisted of all of Somerset County. He served as assistant majority leader in 1968, majority leader in 1969, and Senate president and acting governor in 1970–1972.[1] In 1973, following the reconfiguration of all legislative districts, he was elected to serve in the Senate from the 16th District consisting of most of Somerset County and portions of Hunterdon and Morris counties.[3]

In 1977 Bateman won the Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey over Thomas Kean and two other candidates, but he lost in the general election to Brendan Byrne by a margin of 1,184,564 to 888,880 votes.[4]

Bateman served as chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.[5] He resigned after a conflict with Governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco in 2001 over construction of a new arena for the New Jersey Devils in Newark and plans for the proposed Xanadu complex.[6]

He was married to Joan Speer Bateman until her death in 2003.[7] They had five children: Caren, Raymond Jr. (a luger in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, died 1990),[8] Christopher, Michael, and Joan Anne.[1] He died on June 25, 2016 at Morristown Memorial Hospital after a shoulder break and pneumonia.[9]

See also

• Deaths in June 2016
• Politics of New Jersey

References

1. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1977.
2. Goodnough, Abby. "Live and Learn", The New York Times, May 4, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2008. 'Raymond Bateman, a former state legislator from Somerset County who sponsored the 1962 law that allowed the establishment of community colleges, said the state used to pay one-third of the colleges' budgets."
3. "Results of the General Election Held November 6, 1973" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. p. 7. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
4. Brendan T. Byrne Archive: Interview with Raymond H. Bateman. Eagleton Institute of Politics, January 11, 2007. Accessed March 18, 2008.
5. Sandomir, Richard. "Devils Owner Seeks Hockey in Hoboken", The New York Times, December 20, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2008. "Raymond Bateman, the chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which is the Devils' landlord, said in a statement that the agency would honor the lease and there are no foreseeable circumstances under which that would change."
6. Fitzgerald, Barbara. "The Incredible Shrinking Governor", The New York Times, July 22, 2001. Accessed January 23, 2008. "And when Raymond Bateman, the chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, disagreed with Mr. DiFrancesco over his proposal for a new arena in Newark and a sprawling retail and entertainment center in the Meadowlands, Mr. Bateman offered his resignation."
7. "In Memoriam - Alumni". Skidmore Scope. Summer 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2016. Joan Speer Bateman ’55 of Somerville, NJ, died March 28. ... A member of the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, she helped her husband, State Senator Raymond Bateman, launch his gubernatorial bid in 1977.
8. "Raymond Bateman, 34, former Olympian, dies". Home News Tribune. February 3, 1990. Mr. Bateman also was a three time U.S. doubles luge champion and competed on the U.S. Olympic Luge Team in 1980 and 1984. ... Surviving are his wife, Robin Roberts Bateman; a son, Raymond 3, and a daughter, Amy; his father, former state senator and 1978 gubernatorial candidate Ray Bateman, and mother, Joan Bateman, both of Branchberg; two sisters, Caren Batemen-Chanoch of Neshanic Station and Joananne Bateman of Branchburg; and two brothers,Christopher S. of Neshanic Station and Michael of Branchburg.
9. Spoto, Maryann (June 25, 2016). "Ray Bateman, iconic N.J. senator, dead at 88". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved June 25, 2016.