Editing Garret Hobart (section)

===Political career===
[[File:Hobart at his desk.jpg|thumb|Hobart at his desk, date unknown]]
In 1872, Hobart ran as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] for the [[New Jersey General Assembly]] from Passaic County's third legislative district. He was easily elected, winning nearly two-thirds of the vote. At the time, members of the General Assembly were elected annually, and Hobart was successful in winning re-election the following year, although his margin of victory was cut in half.{{sfn|State of New Jersey, ''Manual of the Legislature''}}

In 1874, still only age&nbsp;30, he was voted Speaker of the Assembly.{{sfn|Connolly|p=22}} In 1876, he was nominated for the [[New Jersey Senate]] seat for Passaic County. He was elected to a three-year term and he was re-elected in 1879. In 1881 and 1882, he served as President of the state Senate, becoming the first man to lead both houses of the legislature.{{sfn|Magie|pp=29–30}} In 1883, he was the Republican nominee in the election for [[United States Senate]]—until 1913, senators were elected by state legislatures. As the Democrats were in the majority, the nomination was a way of honoring Hobart for his political service. When he was asked his feelings about the nomination, he responded, "I do not worry about things that do not come my way." The complimentary nomination would prove to be Hobart's only electoral defeat.{{sfn|Connolly|p=22}}{{sfn|Magie|pp=42–43}}

Hobart said of his involvement in public affairs, "I make politics my recreation."{{sfn|Connolly|p=22}} He devoted most of his time to a law practice which according to Hobart's legislative biography was highly profitable.{{sfn|State of New Jersey, ''Manual of the Legislature''}} He was rarely seen in a courtroom; his official biography for the [[1896 United States presidential election|1896 campaign]] acknowledged that "he has actually appeared in court a smaller number of times than, perhaps, any lawyer in Passaic County".{{sfn|Connolly|p=23}} Hobart's real work was in advising corporations how to accomplish their aims, yet remain within the law.{{sfn|Connolly|p=23}} He also had a lucrative business acting as court-appointed receiver of bankrupt railroads, reorganizing them and restoring them to fiscal health. He often invested heavily in them; Hobart's success made him wealthy. In addition to the railroads for which he served as a receiver, he served as president of the Paterson Railway Company, which ran the city's streetcars, and as a board member for other railroads.{{sfn|Connolly|p=23}}

One reason for Hobart's success in both the private and public sectors was his genial personality. He worked well with others and was noted for tact and charm. Senator [[Mark Hatfield]], in his book on American vice presidents, suggests that these qualities would have made Hobart successful in Washington, D.C. had he run for Congress. Hatfield states that the reason why Hobart chose not to move from state to national politics prior to 1896 was a reluctance to leave a comfortable life and successful law practice in Paterson.{{sfn|Hatfield|p=290}} Instead, Hobart continued to involve himself in party politics; he was widely regarded as [[North Jersey|Northern New Jersey's]] most influential Republican.

Beginning in 1876, he was a delegate to every [[Republican National Convention]] in his lifetime. He was chairman of the New Jersey Republican Committee from 1880 to 1891, resigning the position as he became more deeply involved in [[Republican National Committee]] affairs.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1880/08/25/archives/newjersey-organizing-a-committee-of-seven-to-map-out-the-campaign.html "New-Jersey Organizing; A Committee Of Seven To Map Out The Campaign"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 25, 1880. Accessed March 31, 2008.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1891/09/12/archives/five-hundred-for-one-what-george-newton-offered-to-do-for-newyork.html "John Kean Elected Chairman"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 12, 1891. Accessed March 31, 2008</ref> He was New Jersey's representative on the national committee after 1884, and rose to become vice chairman.{{sfn|Magie|p=50}}{{sfn|Connolly|pp=22–23}}