Alene S. Ammond

Alene S. Ammond (April 6, 1933 – June 4, 2019) was an American housewife, activist, and politician who represented parts of Camden County, New Jersey in the New Jersey Senate from 1974 to 1978. She became known as an outspoken and unstoppable advocate for the public interest and public transparency, earning her the nickname "The Terror of Trenton" and opposition from her own party. She was defeated in an intraparty primary challenge in 1977.

Early life Ammond was born on April 6, 1933 in Jackson Heights, New York City. She attended Pace College and Hunter College while pursuing a career as a ballerina. She married Harold J. Ammond in 1957 and dropped out of college in order to start a family; they had two daughters and one son.

Political career In 1967, Ammond ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Cherry Hill Township Council.

Cherry Hill League In October 1968, with her family's urging, Ammond joined with Rosemarie Hodspoor and eleven others to form the "Cherry Hill League," a non-partisan group "dedicated to fighting city hall, examining public issues, and presenting them to the government."

From the start, Ammond received pushback from local political leadership, particularly the Camden County Democratic Party organization, where leaders told her that she "wasn't meant for politics." In the general election, she defeated Republican incumbent John L. Miller with 53 percent of the vote, carried by the strength of the reaction against the Watergate scandal and her reputation for opposing corruption.

As a senator, Ammond was vocal in opposing machine politics. For example, she used senatorial courtesy to block the appointment of a new Camden County prosecutor and clashed with Senate president Frank J. Dodd. One senator publicly told her, "You're not part of the team," and she replied, "I have no intention of being part of your team, Senator. I don't like what it stands for. Besides, I have another team outside." She placed eighth out of 19 candidates, receiving 0.13 percent of the vote.

In 2002, she ran as the Republican nominee for mayor of Cherry Hill but was defeated by Bernie Platt.

Later life and death Ammond later moved to Voorhees Township, New Jersey. She died June 4, 2019, at the University of Vermont Medical Center from complications of pneumonia.