John Runk was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Whig Party

Whig Party (United States)

The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

 politician, who represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district

New Jersey's 3rd congressional district

New Jersey's Third Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Jon Runyan. It is a swing district, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+1. Former NFL player Republican Jon Runyan defeated John Adler in the 2010 House elections...

 in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from 1845-1847.

Runk was born in Milltown (later, Idell), Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....

. He attended the district schools and took charge of the mills and general store on his father's property in Milltown. He was a member of the Board of Chosen Freeholders

Board of Chosen Freeholders

In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...

 from Kingwood

Kingwood Township, New Jersey

- History :Kingwood Township is famous for the local captain who rounded up the boats for George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the American Revolutionary War.-Demographics:...

 1825-1833. He was an unsuccessful candidate for sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

 in 1830, and served as high sheriff of Hunterdon County from 1836-1838.

Runk was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-ninth United States Congress (March 4, 1845-March 3, 1847). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846, and ran unsuccessfully against Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 George F. Fort

George F. Fort

George Franklin Fort was a physician, politician, judge, and a Democrat who served as the 16th Governor of New Jersey from 1851 to 1854.-Biography:He was born near Pemberton, New Jersey...

 for Governor of New Jersey

Governor of New Jersey

The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...

 in 1850.

He moved to Lambertville, New Jersey

Lambertville, New Jersey

Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...

 in 1854 and engaged in the milling business and mercantile pursuits. He died in Lambertville and is interred in Rosemont Cemetery, Rosemont, Hunterdon County, N.J.

External links

• John Runk at The Political Graveyard
  The Political Graveyard
  The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...