George E Brunner

George Edward Brunner was a Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who served as the Mayor of Camden from 1936 to 1959. Born on January 12, 1896, in Newark to Swiss immigrant parents Eugene and Bertha Brunner, he attended parochial schools in West New York before working in the plumbing trade. Brunner entered politics in 1931 when he was elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, serving until 1935. That year, he joined the Camden City Board of Commissioners as part of a coalition ticket and became mayor after defeating Republican Mayor Frederick Von Neida's organization.

During his tenure, Brunner consolidated Democratic power in Camden and served six four-year terms. His political influence extended statewide; he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 1946 against H. Alexander Smith and chaired the New Jersey Democratic State Committee from 1954 to 1961. He supported the careers of Governors Robert B. Meyner and Richard J. Hughes, Senator Harrison A. Williams, and Attorney General William F. Hyland. Brunner's mayoralty ended in 1959 when he was defeated by Alfred R. Pierce's "Save Our City" coalition, which garnered Hispanic community support. He died on February 8, 1975, at age 79 in Haddon Township.