Edwin Ruthvin Vincent Wright

Edwin Ruthvin Vincent Wright (January 2, 1812 – January 21, 1871) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, and Democratic Party politician from Hudson County, New Jersey. He was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 1859 and represented Hudson County and the city of Newark for one term in the United States House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents.

Wright was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on January 2, 1812. He completed preparatory studies in his youth, laying the foundation for a career that would combine journalism, law, and public service. In 1835 he engaged in newspaper work, entering a field that was closely tied to political life in the antebellum era and that helped establish his public profile in New Jersey.

By 1836 Wright had become editor of the Jersey Blue, a newspaper published in Hoboken. His work as an editor placed him at the center of local political discourse and public affairs. While engaged in journalism, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He commenced the practice of law in Jersey City, New Jersey, and later moved to Hudson City, New Jersey, where he continued his legal practice. His growing legal reputation and prominence in local affairs provided a platform for his entry into elective office.

Wright’s formal political career began with his service in the New Jersey Legislative Council in 1843, at that time the upper house of the state legislature. He subsequently held important local and county offices, serving as county prosecutor of Hudson County, New Jersey, from 1851 to 1855. In 1855 he was elected Mayor of Hudson City, New Jersey, further solidifying his role as a leading Democratic figure in the region. As his stature within the party increased, he became the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 1859. In that election he ran against Republican candidate Charles Smith Olden but was defeated, a result that reflected the increasingly competitive and sectionalized politics of the late 1850s.

Despite this setback, Wright remained an influential Democrat and was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in 1864. He represented Hudson County and the city of Newark in the Thirty-ninth Congress, serving from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1867. His term coincided with the closing months of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction, a significant period in American history in which questions of reunion, civil rights, and the redefinition of federal and state authority dominated the legislative agenda. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New Jersey, Edwin Ruthvin Vincent Wright contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office, participating in debates and decisions that shaped the nation’s postwar direction and advocating for the interests of his urban and industrializing constituency. He did not seek reelection in 1866, declining to be a candidate for another term due to ill health.

In his later years, Wright’s public activity was curtailed by his declining health. He continued to be identified with the Democratic Party and with the legal and civic life of Hudson County until his death. Edwin Ruthvin Vincent Wright died in Jersey City, New Jersey, on January 21, 1871. He was interred in Hoboken Cemetery in North Bergen, New Jersey, closing a career that had spanned journalism, law, municipal leadership, state legislative service, and representation in the United States Congress.