Eighteen women have served in the New Jersey State Senate: Mildred Barry Hughes (D-Union) in 1966, Jerry English (D-Union) in 1971, Wynona Lipman (D-Essex) in 1972, Anne Martindell (D-Mercer) and Alene Ammond (D-Camden) in 1974, Leanna Brown (R-Morris) and Catherine Costa (D-Burlington) in 1984, and Martha Bark (R-Burlington) in 1997. Diane Allen and Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) took office in January 1998, Barbara Buono and Nia Gill in 2001, and Teresa Ruiz, Dana Redd, and Sandra Cunningham in 2007.
Ellen Karcher in January 2004, and Loretta Weinberg the following November. Jennifer Beck defeated Karcher last November – the first time one woman unseated another.
Martindell, now 90, has written a book, “Never Too Late: A Memoir.” The Eagleton Institute of Politics will host a book signing next month, with former Governor Brendan Byrne introducing the her. Martindell became involved in politics during the 1968 presidential campaign, when her brother, Blair Clark, was Eugene McCarthy’s campaign manager. She won a heavily Republican State Senate seat in 1973, defeating incumbent Bill Schluter by just 671 votes in the Watergate Democratic landslide. She resigned in 1977 to become the United States Ambassador to New Zealand.
