After 44 years as mayor, Plainsboro’s Peter Cantu, 84, is retiring! He’ll stay on the Township Committee until December 2026 but will step down as mayor at the reorganization meeting on January 2, 2025.

Cantu first became mayor in 1977 when Democrats took control of the local government for the first time in 56 years. Over the years, he faced political ups and downs, including being ousted as mayor in 1984, then returning in 1987 after Democrats gained the majority again. He even spent a brief time as an assemblyman in 1991 before returning to the township leadership in 1993.

Cantu, who has served on the committee for 50 years, says his decision to retire is about scaling back after decades of dedicated service. He retired from his role as a management executive at IBM in 1989 and later served as executive director of Keep Middlesex Moving until his retirement in 2006.

A lifelong resident, Cantu has watched Plainsboro grow from a small farming town to the vibrant suburb it is today. We’ll be looking forward to his next chapter!