Angela Perun dies
By EditorFormer Assemblywoman Angela Perun died last week at the age of 85. She was elected to the Plainfield City Council in 1977 and to the State Assembly in 1981, representing the 17th district, which included New Brunswick, Piscataway and Highland Park. When Middlesex County Democrats dumped her from their ticket in 1985, she switched parties and sought a third term as a Republican. She was defeated, narrowly, by Democrat Robert Smith.
After her defeat, Perun remained a Republican. She served on the Plainfield Board of Education in 1989, and in 2006 -- at age 84 -- ran for the City Council.
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Trenton in a Nutshell
When I first came to Trenton as a Statehouse reporter for the (Woodbridge) News Tribune in 1985, the first story I covered was Angela Perun’s decision to change political parties. In many ways, it was Trenton in a nutshell: The political bosses were exerting their power by dumping Angela from the ticket in favor of a candidate they preferred. Meanwhile she saw an opportunity to stay in the race and stick it to the bosses by switching parties. And the Assembly GOP press shop conveniently leaked the story a day ahead of time so the papers in her district could be the first to report her plans to change parties.
Since she only served a few more months in the Assembly, I never got to know her, but condolences to Angela and her family.
Rich Lee