Arline M. Friscia (November 13, 1934 – October 16, 2019) was an American politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1996 to 2004, where she represented the 19th Legislative District. Originally elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Friscia switched to the Republican Party in 2003 after losing organization support for her re-election bid from the Democratic Party in that year's primary.

Early life and education

Friscia was born in Newark, and attended public schools in Newark and high school at

Benedictine Academy Benedictine Academy was a Catholic parochial, college preparatory high school that served young women in ninth through twelfth grades in Elizabeth, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was opened in 1915 by the Benedic ...

. She earned her undergraduate degree in music from

Caldwell University Caldwell University is a private Catholic university in Caldwell, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1939 by the Sisters of St. Dominic, the university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, chartered by the State ...

and an

M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

in Administration and Supervision.

Career

Prior to becoming a politician, Friscia worked as a school teacher and a field representative for the New Jersey Education Association. Before taking office in the Assembly, Friscia served on the Woodbridge Township Council from 1988 to 1991.Assemblywoman Arline M. Friscia

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

, backed up by the

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as of February 22, 1998. Accessed June 3, 2010. Democrats statewide saw a net gain of three seats in the Assembly in the 1995 elections, with two of the pickups coming in the 19th District where Friscia and John S. Wisniewski knocked off the Republican incumbents Stephen A. Mikulak and Ernest L. Oros. She was re-elected with Wisniewski in 1997, 1999 and 2001. While in the Assembly, Friscia served as Associate Minority Leader starting in 1998 and was a member of the Labor Committee and the Senior Issues and Community Services Committee. In the Assembly, Friscia sponsored a bill that would expand the state's family leave law by allowing those on leave to collect unemployment for 12 weeks and would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to adopt a provision requiring all business with 50 or more employees to hire back an employee at the same or comparable position after they return from their leave.Garhunathan, Abhi
"The Capitol; A Feud Brewing Over Family Leave"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', February 4, 2001. Accessed June 3, 2010. In the 2003 Democratic primary, Friscia lost the official endorsement of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, which went instead to

Perth Amboy Perth Amboy is a city in northeastern Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", re ...

mayor Joseph Vas. Friscia objected to being knocked off the party line, stating that "a history of women being knocked off tickets in Middlesex County" exists as "part of a long sad history of the Democratic Party disenfranchising qualified women".Fitzgerald, Barbara
Reflections on a Glass Ceiling"
''

'', August 10, 2003. Accessed June 3, 2010. Following her defeat in the primary and after briefly considering an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

run for the Assembly, the Middlesex County Republican offered her a position to run on their ticket in the general election. Friscia was defeated by the two Democratic candidates, incumbent Wisniewski and Vas, in the general election that November. Friscia reregisted as a Democrat after her departure from the Assembly.

Death

She died at the JFK Medical Center in Edison on October 16, 2019, at the age of 84.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friscia, Arline M. 1934 births 2019 deaths Caldwell University alumni New Jersey city council members Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Politicians from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Politicians from Newark, New Jersey Seton Hall University alumni Women city councillors in New Jersey Women state legislators in New Jersey 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature