Harold J. Wirths (born April 5, 1965) is an American Republican politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2018 to 2024, representing the 24th Legislative District. He previously served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development from May 24, 2010 to August 1, 2016, appointed by former Governor Chris Christie in 2010.[2][3]
Wirths has served in the General Assembly since 2020 as the Minority Budget Officer.[4]
Early life
Wirths is the adopted son of Wallace R. Wirths (1921–2002), a former Westinghouse executive, author, newspaper columnist and radio commentator, who was a benefactor of Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey (now defunct),[5] from which Wirths would go on to graduate with an associates degree in business.[1]
Wirths was a small business owner in Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey, owning and managing furniture stores located near Hamburg, New Jersey.[2][3] He also helped to establish Noble Community Bank, which today is part of Highlands State Bank, and he served on the Highlands Bank board of directors.[6][2][3] Wirths resides in Wantage Township, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.[2][3]
Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Wirths ran for Sussex County's Board of Chosen Freeholders as a Republican and served as a freeholder for nearly a decade from 2000 to 2010.[2][3] He resigned from that post to become Labor Commissioner and was succeeded as Freeholder by Parker Space.[7]
Labor Commissioner
Chris Christie nominated Wirths to be the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (2010-2016) and was sworn in on May 24, 2010.[3] One of his focuses as commissioner, was to modernize the state's unemployment insurance benefits system and reducing waste attributed to benefits fraud.[3] He served on the boards of several state government commissions and authorities, including the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New Jersey State Ethics Commission, New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, and the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority.[3]
Under the leadership of Commissioner Wirths, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development launched an employer-focused approach to reshape the state's workforce development and training programs.[8]
New Jersey Assembly
In 2017, he ran for the New Jersey General Assembly in the 24th Legislative District, bracketed with Parker Space and won election with 30,028 votes (27.91% of the ballots cast).[9]
Electoral history
New Jersey Assembly
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Parker Space (Incumbent) | 33,873 | 30.7 |  4.3
| |
| Republican | Harold J. Wirths | 30,820 | 27.9 | 5.4
| |
| Democratic | Kate Matteson | 22,456 | 20.3 |  6.4
| |
| Democratic | Gina Trish | 20,200 | 18.3 | 4.8
| |
| Green | Aaron Hyndman | 1,568 | 1.4 | N/A | |
| Green | Kenny Collins | 1,518 | 1.4 | 2.9
| |
| Total votes | '110,435' | '100.0' | |||
References
- ^ a b "Department of Labor and Workforce Development". Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Office of the Governor, State of New Jersey. Harold J. Wirths: Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Labor. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Department of Labor and Workforce Development, State of New Jersey. About the Commissioner. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Assemblyman Harold J. "Hal" Wirths (R), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed May 6, 2022.
- ^ Strunksy, Steve. "In Brief; Dream of a College Tinged With Sadness", The New York Times, August 2, 1998. (Retrieved July 10, 2012).
- ^ "Highlands Bankcorp Inc (HSBK:OTC US) - Executive Profile: Harold J. Wirths, Former Director, Highlands Bancorp, Inc.". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "Space says he'll resign as freeholder later this month", New Jersey Herald, March 4, 2013. Accessed May 6, 2022. "The process is drawing some comparisons to what happened in 2010 after State Labor Commissioner Hal Wirths resigned from the freeholder board, just 19 days before the primary. Hambel scheduled a convention to pick Wirths' replacement on June 19, eleven days after the primary. At the convention, Republicans unanimously decided to immediately seat Space, who was the top vote-getter in the primary."
- ^ fkloepping. "Department of Labor and Workforce Development | About the Commissioner". lwd.state.nj.us. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Official List Candidates for General Assembly for General Election November 7, 2017 Archived May 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State, updated November 29, 2017. Accessed November 17, 2018.