Brian Hughes, five-term Mercer County Executive, dies at 68

Brian Hughes, who served as the Mercer County Executive from 2004 to 2024, died this morning.  He was 68.

The son of Richard J. Hughes, who served as governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970 and chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973 to 1979, Hughes was the Democratic candidate for Congress against Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Manchester) in 1992 and was elected Mercer County freeholder in 1997 and 2000.

Hughes ended 24 years of Republican control of the Mercer County Executive’s office in 2003 when he defeated County Clerk Cathy DiCostanzo by 1,673 votes, 49%-47%.

He was re-elected in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

in 2023, Hughes dropped his bid for re-election to a sixth term after winning 22% of the vote at the Mercer County Democratic convention against Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton).

“Brian was a devoted public servant, and a truly decent man,” Benson said. “His twenty years as County Executive showed his passion for our County, from our parks, to our airport, to our services for our most vulnerable populations. During my years as a County Commissioner, and later as a State Assemblyman, I had the opportunity to work with Brian for the betterment of Mercer County. Like his father, Governor Richard Hughes, Brian believed deeply in public service and helping those in need. My thoughts are with Brian’s wife Pam, his son Sullivan, and his whole family during this difficult time.”