Sharpe James, the charismatic longest-serving mayor of Newark whose political accomplishments were marred by a corruption conviction, has died. He was 89.
James died Sunday evening, according to his son, John Sharpe James, a former Newark City Council member.
After entering politics, James never lost an election. The Democrat was first elected to public office in 1970, winning a Newark City Council seat. He won the mayor’s seat in 1986 by beating Kenneth Gibson, who had held the post for 16 years.
James was reelected four times, serving 20 years overall as mayor before deciding not to run in 2006 after initially saying he would. That decision came four years after his contentious but successful mayoral run against then-City Councilman Cory Booker, which was chronicled in the Oscar-nominated documentary film “Street Fight.”
As James’ political career wound down, he became the focus of a federal investigation and was convicted in 2008 on charges that he abused his mayoral office by steering city-owned land to his girlfriend. He served 18 months in federal prison.
Booker, now a U.S. senator, replaced James as Newark’s mayor.
“Sharpe James was a beloved pillar of our shared community, serving the City of Newark for two decades as mayor and giving nearly four decades of his life to public service. I am deeply saddened by his passing,” Booker said in a statement.
As mayor, James became a larger-than-life figure and one of the state’s most powerful politicians. He led high-profile efforts to attract development to downtown Newark and supported building an arena in Newark. The arena plan eventually came to fruition when the Prudential Center opened in 2007.
Critics called James flamboyant, citing his brash behavior and desire to draw attention to himself. They also claimed that he lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers, noting accusations that he racked up thousands of dollars on city credit cards for personal expenses and travels.
James strongly denied claims that he led a corrupt political machine. He had repeatedly faced allegations of questionable campaign tactics, including alleged use of the police force for his own purposes and intimidating supporters of his opponents.
While still serving as mayor, James was appointed to the New Jersey Senate in 1999 following the death of Sen. Wynona Lipman. He won an election later that year to complete her unexpired term and went on to win two full terms.
James remained as Newark’s mayor while serving in the Legislature. Supporters noted that holding the two posts was allowed under state law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.