William Hughes (born April 3, 1872 in Drogheda, Ireland; died January 30, 1918 in Trenton, New Jersey) was a New Jersey politician who served in both houses of the United States Congress.

Hughes immigrated to the United States from Ireland with his parents in 1880 and settled in Paterson, New Jersey. His first jobs were as a stenographer in New York City and a court reporter in Paterson. He served in the United States Army throughout the Spanish-American War after which he became a lawyer and practiced in Paterson.

In 1902, Hughes successfully ran for his first political office as a Democrat and represented New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served a single term before falling to Henry C. Allen in his bid for re-election. In 1906, he ran again for the same seat and served three more terms in the House before resigning on September 12, 1912 to accept an appointment to be judge on the court of common pleas of Passaic County.

Months later, Hughes was elected to the United States Senate from New Jersey but served less than five years before dying in office. Hughes is buried at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson, New Jersey.

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1872 births | 1918 births | Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey | United States Senators from New Jersey | Irish-Americans