Lawrence Francis Kramer

Lawrence Francis "Pat" Kramer Jr. (February 24, 1933 – August 24, 2023) was an American politician who was the Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey from 1967 to 1972 and 1975 until 1982.

Kramer ran for Governor of New Jersey in the Republican primary in 1981. He came in second to future Governor Thomas Kean.

Mayoralty

1966 election In 1966, incumbent mayor Frank X. Graves Jr. was prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term. Republican municipal chairman Herman Steinberg and former U.S. Representative Gordon Canfield backed Kramer for the nomination for mayor over a large field of potential contenders, including sheriff Frank Davenport. Kramer faced Housing Authority chairman John Wegner in the November general election. Although Kramer was the underdog in the heavily Democratic city, he benefited from divided opposition following a bitter Democratic primary, in which Wegner, with the support of Passaic County boss Anthony Grossi, had narrowly defeated former mayor Michael DeVita. DeVita refused to endorse Wegner, and many of his supporters backed Kramer. Kramer won an impressive victory with 57% of the vote, carrying 67 of the 92 voting districts in Paterson and winning by roughly 6,000 votes. The victory instantly made Kramer a rising star in New Jersey Republican politics, and he was quickly mentioned as a future candidate for governor or United States Senate. His former political opponent and eventual successor as mayor, Bill Pascrell, mourned Kramer as "a true public servant and a pillar of our city," as well as a "brilliant advisor, collaborator, and friend."