House passes bill to rename post office after late N.J. congressman

A post office in Spring Lake, New Jersey may be named after the late Rep. James Howard (D-Spring Lake Heights) thanks to a bill put forward by the entire New Jersey congressional delegation.

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), Howard’s successor in the House, first proposed the bill last year, and it passed the House on a voice vote earlier today; it now heads to the Senate, where no companion bill has yet been introduced.

“Being a Democrat from a conservative New Jersey district, he listened to anyone’s opinion, always sought common ground, and never stopped fighting for working class people,” Pallone said on the House floor. “It is only right that Jim’s important and lasting legacy to New Jersey and the rest of the country be recognized at his local post office.”

A World War II veteran and New Jersey native, Howard was first elected to represent the 3rd district, which was then based in Monmouth County, in 1964. 79-year-old Rep. James Auchincloss (R-Rumson) had made a deal to retire that year, and Howard defeated the GOP’s new candidate, Monmouth County Freeholder Marcus Daly, 50.4% to 49.6%, a margin of just 1,740 votes.

Howard faced several more competitive campaigns in his 24-year career in the House, but he always managed to win. In 1981, he became chairman of the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation, which is now known as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In 1988, Howard suffered a sudden heart attack while playing golf, dying three weeks before that year’s filing deadline. Pallone, then a state senator, won a close race to succeed him and has represented parts of Monmouth County ever since.