The longest serving county party chairman in New Jersey when he retired in 2014 and a leader noted for his honorable behavior, clear thinking and speaking, and commitment to his party ideals, Hunterdon County GOP Chairman Emeritus Henry Kuhl has died.

Mr. Kuhl attended 12 of 13 Republican National Conventions, and backed Ronald Reagan for president in 1976. “I have been chairman for 35 years,” Mr. Kuhl told PolitickerNJ when he formally retired from the chairmanship on his own volition. “I felt I had served well for so many years and it would be better for someone to replace me.”

Mr. Kuhl continued service as chairman emeritus.

“I’m not going away entirely,” he said at the time.

He was 91 at the time of his death, and would have been 92 in May.

A beloved, determinedly positive, non-nonsense and hard-working figure, a gentleman who hearkened back to the rural era of Hunterdon County, Mr. Kuhl’s family manufactured equipment for chicken farmers.

He also lent his creative talent to the politics of his Republican Party.

“Henry Kuhl built the Hunterdon GOP,” said state Senator Mike Doherty (R-23). “He led the party with honor and distinction for decades. He worked tirelessly to help elect Republican candidates and his record of success is unmatched. We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Chairman Henry Kuhl.”

“He was honest, ethical and had tremendous political insight and intuition,” said Hunterdon County Clerk Mary Melfi. “I was honored to know and work with him.”

“Henry Kuhl gave me my start in politics by appointing me to the county committee when I was 24 years old,” said Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-23). “I like to think that our shared love of Ronald Reagan Republican values and style is why he thought a youngster like me should be on county committee. Rest in peace, Mr. Kuhl.”

In an interview at the time of his retirement, Chairman Kuhl recalled the 1980 national convention, when Reagan picked fellow prez candidate George Herbert Walker Bush in part to prevent party splintering. “I’ve always been someone to recommend that we should run as a team and don’t fracture the party,” Mr. Kuhl told PolitickerNJ.

In 2016, the former chairman said he believed Trump’s best choice as a running mate was Ohio Governor John Kasich.

“He should not pick Ted Cruz,” Mr. Kuhl said. “I’m a conservative with some moderate positions but I am a political realist, and Cruz appeals to the most conservative parts of the party, where there’s not enough power to win the general election.

“He [Trump] can go to people like Kasich, this is a former congressman who wrote a balanced budget that Bill Clinton got the credit for, and he did same thing in Ohio as governor, where he won reelection by 65%. Ohio is a swing state. I think Kasich on the ticket would bring Ohio to Trump. Without question he would lend strength to the ticket because people look at him as being experienced with proven ability. I like Kasich but I also think there were five or six GOP candidates qualified to be Trump’s running mate.”