Irene T. Griffin (July 25, 1899 – April 1983) was an American

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly. She served one year in the Legislature, but became a bit of a perennial candidate, losing three races for the Assembly, two for the Senate, and one for Congress. Griffin first ran for the State Assembly in 1942, but lost the Republican primary to future U.S. Senator

Clifford P. Case Clifford Philip Case Jr. (April 16, 1904March 5, 1982), was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Representative (1945–1953) and a U.S. Senator (1955–1979) from New Jersey. He is currently ...

, future State Senator Kenneth Hand, and two others. When Case ran for Congress in 1944, Griffin ran again and won the nomination and the election. She did run for a second term in 1945, but sought the Republican nomination for State Senator in 1947, losing to hand in the primary. She ran again for Assembly in 1951, but lost the primary to incumbent

Florence P. Dwyer Florence Price Dwyer (July 4, 1902 – February 29, 1976) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician who represented much of Essex County, New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1957 to 1 ...

. She again challenged Dwyer in 1956, this time in a primary for the U.S. House of Representatives; she lost and Dwyer went on to unseat an incumbent in the general election. She ran for the Assembly in 1957, upsetting the frontrunner,

Nelson Stamler Nelson Frank Stamler (May 4, 1909 – April 11, 1972) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician, prosecutor and judge. He won considerable fame in the 1950s as a racket-busting Deputy state Attorney General who ...

in the Republican primary. She lost the General Election to Democrat

Mildred Barry Hughes Mildred Barry Hughes (February 11, 1902 – January 11, 1995) was an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and became the first woman elected to the New Jersey Senate in 1965. Politics She was el ...

. Griffin lost a State Senate primary in 1962 to Stamler, who had since been elected Assemblyman. In 1967, she lost a Republican primary for State Assembly to

Hugo Pfaltz Hugo Menzel Pfaltz Jr. (September 23, 1931 – August 31, 2019) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician who served two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Newark, Pfaltz gradu ...

and

Peter J. McDonough Peter J. McDonough (August 24, 1925 – August 28, 1998) was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. Biography McDonough was born in Plainfield, where he was a lifelong res ...

by a 2-1 margin. Born in Ohio, she was married to Oscar D. Griffin. They had three children: Ruth, Harriett and John.

References

1899 births 1983 deaths Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Women state legislators in New Jersey 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century New Jersey politicians {{NewJersey-politician-stub