Charles W. Sandman, Jr.

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Charles William Sandman, Jr. (b. October 23, 1921, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – d. August 26, 1985, Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey) was a Republican U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1967 to 1975 and a candidate for Governor in 1973.

Sandman graduated from the local public high school, Cape May High School, attained a bachelors degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a law degree from the Newark, New Jersey branch of the New Jersey's state university, Rutgers University.

Before serving in Congress, Sandman was elected to three 4-year terms in the New Jersey Senate, in 1955, 1959, and 1963. He held the post of Majority Leader of that body in 1964 and 1965. In 1966, he ran for Congress while still holding his State Senate seat, which he resigned upon winning the federal office.

In 1973, the conservative Sandman ran for Governor, defeating scandal-ridden, moderate incumbent Republican William T. Cahill in the Republican primary election. In the general election, Sandman lost to Democrat Brendan Byrne in a landslide, following the pattern where New Jersey would often elect moderate Republicans to state-wide office but consistently reject more conservative Republicans.

In 1974, Sandman was serving on the House Judiciary Committee when it considered articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. Unlike most Republicans on the committee, Sandman defended Nixon almost throughout the proceedings. At one point during the hearings, Sandman angrily told his New Jersey colleague on the committee, chairman Peter Rodino, "Please, let us not bore the American public ... you have your 27 votes", referring to the 27 affirmative votes for the first article of impeachment against Nixon.

In the 1974 Congressional elections, Republicans suffered generally because of the Watergate scandal that had by the time of the election forced Nixon to resign. Sandman, whose reputation suffered more than most because of his defense of Nixon in the televised Judiciary Committee hearings, lost his bid for re-election.

Sandman's son, Charles W. Sandman, III, has followed his father's legal footsteps, having a law practice in Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.