William Nelson Runyon

William Nelson Runyon ( born March 5, 1871 in Plainfield, New Jersey; † November 9, 1931 ) was an American politician and 1919-1920 Governor of the State of New Jersey.

Early years and political rise

William Runyon attended until 1892, the Yale University. Then he studied until 1894 at the New York Law School Law. Politically Runyon was a member of the Republican Party. Between 1897 and 1898 he was on the city council of Plainfield and from 1899 to 1910 he was a judge in this city. Later, he became a deputy in the New Jersey General Assembly. This mandate he held 1915-1917. The following four years until 1922 he was a member of the State Senate. In 1919 he was the successor of Thomas F. McCran President of that body.

Governor of New Jersey and other CV

Following the resignation of Governor Walter Evans Edge, who moved to the U.S. Senate, Runyon was in his capacity as President of the Senate on the object to finish the unexpired term of Edge. Thus he was between 16 May 1919 and the January 13, 1920 Acting Governor of New Jersey. On this day, his time ran out as Senate President. The end of the actual tenure of Governor Edge would have been on January 20. These seven days then had to complete as acting governor of the new Senate President Clarence E. Case. An attempt to be elected governor in 1919 even failed in the primaries of his party. In 1922 he was defeated in the gubernatorial election against George Sebastian Silzer, the candidate of the Democratic Party.

After that Runyon withdrew from politics. Between 1923 and 1931 he was a judge at the Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey. William Runyon died in November 1931. Together with his wife Florence M. MacDonald he had four children.