It’s been eight years.

Eight years since the death of Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-21).

He was the veteran running mate of state Senator Tom Kean, Jr. and Assemblyman Jon Bramnick and generally regarded as the smartest or one of the smartest men in the NJ legislature. He was certainly also one of the kindest and friendliest.

He was a surgeon by trade, but humbly only ever told people when they asked him what he did that he worked in a hospital. Dr. Munoz worked hard his whole life. He grew up in Colts Neck where as a young man in horse country he could often be seen working hard behind the counter of his parents’ general store.

He was the lead surgeon who performed the operation on Democratic power boss Steve Adubato, Sr. that saved his life. Adubato always paid homage to Dr. Munoz at his political events, giving the Republican assemblyman a special place on every dais or high table.

“It’s one of those things where you come here and you’re looking around for your running mate,” a saddened Bramnick told InsiderNJ at the Somerset County GOP Convention a few days after Dr. Munoz died.

Just a few weeks after his passing, the doctor’s wife stepped into the breach to help the party, which needed a substitute heading into convention season. A nurse, Nancy Munoz, became the assemblywoman that year to continue the work started by her husband in  the legislature. In 2010, Gov. Chris Christie named the UMDNJ Trauma Center in Newark, where he worked, in honor of Dr. Munoz.

We still miss Dr. Munoz, especially when we go to events like last night’s Union County Republican Convention, but that LD21 team endures: Kean, Bramnick, and Munoz.