Hal Wirths

Wirths is the adopted son of Wallace R. Wirths (1921–2002), a former Westinghouse executive, author, newspaper columnist and radio commentator, who was a benefactor of Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey (now defunct),Strunksy, Steve. [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/02/nyregion/in-brief-dream-of-a-college-tinged-with-sadness.html "In Brief; Dream of a College Tinged With Sadness"], The New York Times, August 2, 1998. (Retrieved July 10, 2012). from which Wirths would go on to graduate with an associates degree in business.[https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/90929/harold-wirths]

Wirths was a small business owner in Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey, owning and managing furniture stores located near Hamburg, New Jersey. He also helped to establish Noble Community Bank, which today is part of Highlands State Bank, and he served on the Highlands Bank board of directors.[https://archive.today/20130628202332/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=61897384&ticker=HSBK "Highlands Bankcorp Inc (HSBK:OTC US) - Executive Profile: Harold J. Wirths, Former Director, Highlands Bancorp, Inc."]. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 22 May 2013. Wirths resides in Wantage Township, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

Wirths ran for Sussex County's Board of Chosen Freeholders as a Republican and served as a freeholder for nearly a decade from 2000 to 2010. He resigned from that post to become Labor Commissioner and was succeeded as Freeholder by Parker Space.[https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2013/03/05/space-says-he-ll-resign/4004838007/ "Space says he'll resign as freeholder later this month"], New Jersey Herald, March 4, 2013. Accessed May 6, 2022. "The process is drawing some comparisons to what happened in 2010 after State Labor Commissioner Hal Wirths resigned from the freeholder board, just 19 days before the primary. Hambel scheduled a convention to pick Wirths' replacement on June 19, eleven days after the primary. At the convention, Republicans unanimously decided to immediately seat Space, who was the top vote-getter in the primary."

Chris Christie nominated Wirths to be the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (2010-2016) and was sworn in on May 24, 2010. One of his focuses as commissioner, was to modernize the state's unemployment insurance benefits system and reducing waste attributed to benefits fraud. He served on the boards of several state government commissions and authorities, including the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New Jersey State Ethics Commission, New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, and the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority.

Under the leadership of Commissioner Wirths, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development launched an employer-focused approach to reshape the state's workforce development and training programs.{{Cite web|url=http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/aboutlwd/aboutcommish.html|title=Department of Labor and Workforce Development {{!}} About the Commissioner|last=fkloepping|website=lwd.state.nj.us|access-date=2016-08-05}}

In 2017, he ran for the New Jersey General Assembly in the 24th Legislative District, bracketed with Parker Space and won election with 30,028 votes (27.91% of the ballots cast).[https://nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf#page=30 Official List Candidates for General Assembly for General Election November 7, 2017] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521090837/https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf#page=30 |date=May 21, 2019 }}, New Jersey Department of State, updated November 29, 2017. Accessed November 17, 2018.

File:2017 General Assembly election for New Jersey's 24th District Results by Municipality.png

{{Election box begin

| title = 2017 General Assembly election for New Jersey's 24th District{{cite web|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf |title=Candidates for General Assembly |publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey|access-date=December 31, 2017|date=November 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205042121/http://nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf |archive-date=2017-12-05}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Parker Space (Incumbent)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 33,873

| percentage = 30.7

| change = {{decrease}} 4.3

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Harold J. Wirths

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 30,820

| percentage = 27.9

| change = {{decrease}} 5.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Kate Matteson

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 22,456

| percentage = 20.3

| change = {{increase}} 6.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Gina Trish

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 20,200

| percentage = 18.3

| change = {{increase}} 4.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Aaron Hyndman

| party = Green Party of the United States

| votes = 1,568

| percentage = 1.4

| change = N/A

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Kenny Collins

| party = Green Party of the United States

| votes = 1,518

| percentage = 1.4

| change = {{decrease}} 2.9

}}

{{Election box total

| votes = 110,435

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/402/assemblyman-wirths Legislative webpage]

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|us-nj-hs}}

{{succession box |before=Gail Phoebus |title=Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 24th District |with=Parker Space |years= January 9, 2018-Present |after=Incumbent}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirths, Harold J.}}

Category:1965 births

Category:Living people

Category:County commissioners in New Jersey

Category:Politicians from Sussex County, New Jersey

Category:Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly

Category:People from Wantage Township, New Jersey

Category:State cabinet secretaries of New Jersey

Category:Upsala College alumni

Category:American adoptees

Category:21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature