Anne Martindell

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg flew up from Washington last night to attend a fundraiser for Hoboken Councilman Peter Cammarano, a good friend – but blew off an invitation to attend another fundraising event the same evening for Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Anne Martindell (1914-2008) served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1974 to 1977.State Sen. Anne Martindell of Princeton, who died yesterday at 93, championed the underdog throughout a life marked by public service and a thirst for knowledge and self-improvement. In the words of her son, Princeton Councilman Roger Martindell, "she fought for what she believed in, and she was gracious in the fight."

Elected to the state Senate as a Democrat in 1973 as part of the Watergate backlash that landed a number of Democrats in the Statehouse to form a 28-12 Democratic majority, Martindell served one term before becoming President Jimmy Carter’s Ambassador to New Zealand.

In her eighties, she doubled back on the college career she never completed. Sixty-years after leaving Smith College following her freshman year, Martindell obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Smith and an honorary doctorate of law in 2002.

On Thursday, news of her death brought forth an outpouring of goodwill from those who knew her and those with whom she served in Trenton, including former Gov. Brendan T. Byrne.

Among the legendary stories about former State Senator Anne Martindell, who died yesterday at age 93, was her response to a 1972 assertion by old-time party insider Salvatore Bontempo, that “women don’t participate in our back room party meetings because they don’t want to hear four letter words”. Bontempo was the Democratic State Chairman and Martindell, then a Democratic National Committeewoman, was fairly blunt in her rebuke: “That’s a load of shit,” Martindell said. “I don’t need to be protected by Sal.”

Anne Martindell (1914-2008) served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1974 to 1977.Former State Sen. Anne Clark Martindell, a Democrat who won an upset victory in a solidly Republican legislative district in 1973 and went on to become the United States Ambassador to New Zealand, passed away on Wednesday.  She was 93.

Martindell became involved in politics in 1968 when her brother, Blair Clark, was the campaign manager for Eugene McCarthy’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.  She ran for State Senator in a Hunterdon County-based district that included Princeton, Pennington and the Hopewells, and narrowly defeated incumbent Bill Schluter in 1973, when Watergate caused Republicans to lose ten State Senate seats. 

She left the Senate in 1977 when President Jimmy Carter appointed her to serve as an Ambassador.  Her Senate seat was won by Republican Walter Foran.

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.

Among the eight New Jersey donors to the U.S. Senate campaign of Jack Carter in Nevada are Robert DelTufo and Anne Martindell. DelTufo, who contributed $2,000, was appointed U.S. Attorney by Carter's father, President Jimmy Carter, in 1977; and Anne Clark Martindell, who was named U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand by Carter in 1977, gave $500. Carter won the Democratic nomination last night to challenge freshman GOP Senator John Ensign.

DelTufo, whose late brother, Raymond DelTufo, had been President Dwight Eisenhower's pick for U.S. Attorney in 1954, served as New Jersey's federal prosecutor until 1980. He sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1985 (losing to then-Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro) and served as Attorney General of New Jersey under Governor James Florio from 1990 to 1994.

Martindell's late brother was Blair Clark, was a foreign correspondent for CBS News, Associate Publisher of the New York Post, and Editor of The Nation magazine. In 1968, he managed Eugene McCarthy's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Anne Martindell was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 1973, defeating GOP incumbent William Schluter.