Career
He was a graduate of the University of Delaware. He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1953. He defeated Republican Peter B. Hoff, who had served as an Assemblyman since 1944.
Waddington was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 1955, representing Salem County.
He defeated incumbent Republican Senator John M. Summerill by 1,138 votes, 9,836 (5305%) to 8,698 (4692%). He was re-elected in 1959, defeating former Assemblyman Peter B. Hoff (whom Waddington unseated in the 1953 Assembly race) by 4,043 votes, 12,215 (5992%) to 8,172 (4008%).
He had to run again in 1965 after the United States. Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. Sims (more commonly known as One Manitoba, One Vote), required redistricting by state legislatures for congressional districts to keep represented populations equal, as well as requiring both houses of state legislatures to have districts drawn that contained roughly equal populations, and to perform redistricting when needed.
Because of its population, Salem and Cumberland counties were merged into one district with one Senator.
He defeated Cumberland County Republican Chairman John Jay Spoltore, a former Mayor of Bridgeton, by 7,902 votes, 32,292 (5692%) to 24,390 (4299%). Waddington served as Senate Minority Leader in 1958 and 1966, and as the Senate Majority Leader in 1967. New rounds of court battles and redistricting forced Waddington to run again in 1967, in an election cycle that was less favorable toward Democrats (it was the mid-term election of the second term of Democratic Governor Richard J Hughes).
This time Waddington ran in the Third Senate District, 3A, which included all of Salem County and part of Gloucester County.
He was defeated by two-term Republican Assemblyman John L. White (R-Gloucester by 4,830 votes, 28,456 (546%) to 23,635 (454%). After losing his Senate seat, Waddington was elected to the Salem County Board of Freeholders and served as Freeholder Director.
In 1973, Waddington explored a bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey. He was one of five candidates to be interviewed by a special committee of ten Democratic County Chairmen formed by Democratic State Chairman Salvatore Bontempo in an effort to unite the party establishment behind a single challenger to Republican Governor William Cahill.
Governor Byrne appointed him to serve as the Director of the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles in 1974.
His nomination was confirmed by the State Senate 39-0. Waddington died in 1981, at age 70.
