N.J. State Sen. Jim Whelan, `tireless advocate' for Atlantic City, dies
Whelan had been a figure in Atlantic City politics for nearly 40 years.
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Jim Whelan, 68, a West Philadelphia native and Temple University graduate whose job as an Atlantic City lifeguard led to a decades-long career in public life there as a city councilman, mayor, assemblyman, and state senator, died Tuesday.
The circumstances of Sen. Whelan's death were not immediately known. He had recently undergone surgery for cancerous cells in a kidney, and in a post made to his Facebook page July 31 he said that the cells had been removed but that he had complications due to blood thinners he was prescribed.
[On Wednesday morning, his office released a statement saying Whelan had been in and out of the hospital and rehabilitation over the last couple of weeks and had returned home late last week. "Up until the moment he passed, Jim was doing what he loved, talking about his beloved City of Atlantic City," the statement said. "After ordering subs from his favorite White House Sub Shop, he was at his house ready to talk to a Netflix documentary crew about Atlantic City when he passed." He suffered a heart attack, the statement said.]
News of his death was met with shock from politicians around New Jersey, including Gov. Christie, who credited the Democratic legislator with recent revitalization efforts in Atlantic City.
"During my nearly eight years in Trenton, I came to know Jim as a forthright and honest leader whose word was his bond," Christie said in a statement Tuesday night. "While we did not always agree on policy, he was always willing to listen and reason together."
Last summer, Sen. Whelan was featured in a campaign ad made by a Hillary Clinton super PAC in which he recalled his dealings with then-casino mogul Donald Trump while he served as mayor. In it, he described Trump as "a carnival barker, a P.T. Barnum."
Don Guardian, Atlantic City's current mayor, said Sen. Whelan took him under his wing after Guardian was elected in 2013.
"Jim dedicated his whole life to public service to Atlantic City, whether he was serving as a lifeguard, a coach and teacher, councilman, mayor, or state senator," Guardian said.
"Jim was rarely one to raise his voice, but was a dogged advocate for Atlantic City, a city he loved dearly, and was determined to see it thrive," State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) said in a statement. "He was the author of many of the initiatives that have helped to revitalize Atlantic City and will be remembered for that work for generations to come. He will be missed dearly by all of us who knew him, but his loss will also be felt by the entire state."
Sen. Whelan was a teenager when he became a member of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol in 1964. Rod Aluise, who knew him for 40 years and served as chief of the Beach Patrol, said the future politician spent summers in the Inlet section and never looked back.
"He always had a great love and affinity for Atlantic City and its people," Aluise said. "He was interested in its people."
Sen. Whelan spent many years on the patrol stand at States Avenue, Aluise recalled. A nationally ranked distance swimmer, he won two South Jersey Beach Patrol swimming championships and competed in the Around the Island Swim.
As a public school teacher in the Atlantic City School District for more than 20 years, he also taught swimming and urged city kids to become involved with the Beach Patrol, Aluise said.
"He was always pushing them forward to expose them to the Beach Patrol," he said.
After being elected to City Council in 1981, he held his seat for four years before being elected mayor in 1990. He went on to be elected to the Assembly in 2006, then the Senate in 2008, representing the Second District.
"Sen. Whelan was a tireless advocate for Atlantic City and Atlantic County, but he was also an advocate for bettering all of New Jersey," Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson) said. "His commitment to good ethical government and his advocacy for Atlantic City will be his legacy, and his loss will be felt by everyone across our state. It's impossible to imagine the Statehouse without Jim Whelan and his thoughtfulness."
Earlier this year, the senator announced that he would not seek reelection.
"I have had a great run in politics, but as with everything else in life, there comes a time, and for me, that time is now," Sen. Whelan said.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and a stepson, Richard.
A Memorial Service will be held in Atlantic City in the coming weeks, his office said.
Staff writer Amy S. Rosenberg contributed to this article.