Former New Jersey Gov. James Florio, who championed a plan that substantially raised the state’s sales and income taxes leading to his reelection defeat in 1993, died Sunday. He was 85. His law partner Doug Steinhardt and current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed Florio died in statements on Monday.

"Governor Florio was a fighter who never backed down. He was a leader who cared more about the future of New Jersey than his own political fortunes," Murphy, a fellow Democrat, said in a statement. Florio was a longtime public servant who held numerous posts on the local, county, state and federal levels.