Reacting to news of the impending retirement of Senator Ron Rice, the senior member of the Senate Republican caucus Senator Robert Singer called his Democrat friend “the conscience of the Senate.”

“There will be an enormous void in the Senate without Senator Rice,” said Singer. “I shared time with him on the Senate Health Committee where we became friends who didn’t always agree but always respected the other’s opinions.

“A tenacious fighter for what he believed in, and a tireless advocate for the people he loved in his Legislative District, he will be impossible to replace in the chamber, and a model for all senators to aspire to,” Singer noted.

Rice announced plans to retire at the end of August from the seat he has held in Trenton since 1986. Senator Dick Codey is the only Legislature with more seniority.

“Senator Rice and I formed a strong bond as we fought to improve housing options and the quality and accessibility to services for homeless New Jerseyans, and to better serve the needs of urban municipalities,” Singer said. “As my friend steps away from the State House, I will continue to draw inspiration from our shared passions.”

When Rice was a newcomer to the Senate, he served under Senate President John Russo, Senator Singer’s father-in-law.