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New Jersey's 20th legislative district

American legislative district

American legislative district

FieldValue
district20
imageNew Jersey Legislative Districts Map (2023) D20 hl.svg
senateJoseph Cryan (D)
assemblyAnnette Quijano (D)
Eduardo Rodriguez (D)
Democratic57.0
Republican9.4
Independent31.9
percent white23.3
percent black27.6
percent native american0.9
percent asian4.4
percent pacific islander0.0
percent other race26.4
percent two or more races17.4
percent hispanic47.6
population242,177
year2020 Census
voting-age186,799
registered133,381

Eduardo Rodriguez (D) | percent two or more races= 17.4 | voting-age = 186,799 New Jersey's 20th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature. The district includes the Union County municipalities of Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Roselle and Union Township.

Demographic characteristics

As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 242,177, of whom 186,799 (77.1%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 56,517 (23.3%) White, 66,768 (27.6%) African American, 2,059 (0.9%) Native American, 10,555 (4.4%) Asian, 103 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 63,956 (26.4%) from some other race, and 42,219 (17.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 115,221 (47.6%) of the population.

The district had 133,381 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 42,594 (31.9%) were registered as unaffiliated, 76,023 (57.0%) were registered as Democrats, 12,479 (9.4%) were registered as Republicans, and 2,285 (1.7%) were registered to other parties.

The district has a higher-than-average percentage of residents who are foreign born (at 35.6%, the 3rd highest of all 40 districts in the state), Hispanic (5th highest of any district statewide) and African American (11th highest). The number and percentage of registered voters is lowest in the state. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a better than 4 to 1 margin, with Republican registration percentage one of the lowest of any district statewide.

Political representation

The legislative district overlaps with 8th and 10th congressional districts.

Apportionment history

When the 40-district legislative map was created in 1973, the 20th was a central Union County-based district including Westfield, Garwood, Cranford, Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township, and Hillside Township. In the 1981 redistricting, the 20th district received completely new municipalities in eastern Union County including Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, and Carteret in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Carteret was removed from the district following the 1991 redistricting but Roselle was added from the 21st district.

Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative redistricting in 2001, based on the results of the 2000 United States census removed Linden and Rahway (both to the 22nd legislative district) and added Kenilworth and Union Township (both from the 21st district). As part of the 2011 apportionment, Hillside was added from the 29th district, while Kenilworth Borough was shifted to the 21st district.

In the 1973 State Senate race, Alexander J. Menza defeated incumbent Republican Frank X. McDermott, who had served 10 years in office, helping the Democrats gain control of the state legislature for only the third time in the 20th century.

In the 1975 elections, McDermott made a comeback and won a seat in the Assembly. In the 1977 Senate race, Menza chose not to run for re-election (he would run a distant third in the 1978 United States Senate primaries). McDermott ran again for the seat, losing to Democrat Anthony E. Russo.

In redistricting following the 1980 United States census, C. Louis Bassano was shifted to the 21st legislative district, where he ran for (and won) the State Senate seat. Chuck Hardwick was also shifted to the 21st district, where he would win the Assembly seat.

Gregorio was forced to resign in 1983 after being convicted of conspiracy for concealing his ownership of two go-go bars that were operated by his son. In a June 1983 special election, Lesniak won the seat Gregorio was forced to vacate. In turn, another special election was held in August 1983 to fill Lesniak's vacancy, a race that was won by Thomas W. Long.

After five terms in the 20th district, Thomas J. Deverin was relocated to the 19th legislative district in 1991, with redistricting following the 1990 census tending to favor Republicans. In the 1991 Republican landslide, the 20th bucked the trend, with incumbent George Hudak and Elizabeth Mayor Thomas G. Dunn narrowly holding on to the seats for the Democrats. Hudak and Dunn did not run for re-election in 1993.

In the 1993 election, two former Union County Freeholders, Joseph Suliga and Neil M. Cohen (the latter also served in the Assembly from 1990 to 1992 from the 21st district) were elected. Suliga represented the district in the Assembly until 2002, when he was shifted to the 22nd legislative district as part of the 2001 redistricting, and was elected to the State Senate.Joseph Cryan was elected to the Assembly in 2001, filling Suliga's Assembly seat.

Cohen resigned from the Assembly on July 24, 2008, after images of child pornography were found on his state-issued computer. Democratic committee members from the district selected Annette Quijano to fill Cohen's vacancy.

Joseph Cryan stepped down on January 4, 2015 to become Union County Sheriff. The Union County Democrats selected Roselle Mayor Jamel Holley as his replacement on January 21, 2015.

Election history

Senators and Assembly members elected from the district are as follows:

SessionSenateGeneral Assembly
1974–1975Alexander J. Menza (D)John J. McCarthy (D)
1976–1977C. Louis Bassano (R)Frank X. McDermott (R)
1978–1979Anthony E. Russo (D)C. Louis Bassano (R)
1980–1981C. Louis Bassano (R)Chuck Hardwick (R)
1982–1983John T. Gregorio (D)Thomas J. Deverin (D)
Raymond Lesniak (D)Elected to the Senate in June 7, 1983 special election, sworn in on June 16, 1983Thomas W. Long (D)Elected to the Assembly in August 2, 1983 special election, sworn in on September 6, 1983
1984–1985Raymond Lesniak (D)Thomas J. Deverin (D)
1986–1987Thomas J. Deverin (D)George Hudak (D)
1988–1989Raymond Lesniak (D)Thomas J. Deverin (D)
1990–1991Thomas J. Deverin (D)George Hudak (D)
1992–1993Raymond Lesniak (D)Thomas G. Dunn (D)
1994–1995Raymond Lesniak (D)Neil M. Cohen (D)
1996–1997Neil M. Cohen (D)Joseph Suliga (D)
1998–1999Raymond Lesniak (D)Neil M. Cohen (D)
2000–2001Neil M. Cohen (D)Joseph Suliga (D)
2002–2003Raymond Lesniak (D)Neil M. Cohen (D)
2004–2005Raymond Lesniak (D)Neil M. Cohen (D)
2006–2007Neil M. Cohen (D)Joseph Cryan (D)
2008–2009Raymond Lesniak (D)Neil M. Cohen (D)Resigned July 28, 2008
Annette Quijano (D)Appointed to the Assembly on September 25, 2008, won November 4, 2008 special election to complete term
url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213040758/http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/new-jersey.htmldate=February 13, 2010 }}, The New York Times, November 9, 2009. Accessed July 12, 2010.Annette Quijano (D)Joseph Cryan (D)
2012–2013Raymond Lesniak (D)Annette Quijano (D)
2014–2015Raymond Lesniak (D)Annette Quijano (D)
Jamel Holley (D)Appointed to the Assembly on January 21, 2015
2016–2017Annette Quijano (D)Jamel Holley (D)
2018–2019Joseph Cryan (D)Annette Quijano (D)
2020–2021Annette Quijano (D)Jamel Holley (D)
2022–2023Joseph Cryan (D)Annette Quijano (D)
2024–2025Joseph Cryan (D)Annette Quijano (D)
2026–2027Annette Quijano (D)Ed Rodriguez (D)

Election results

Senate

General Assembly

References

References

  1. [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#19 Districts by Number], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed February 1, 2014.
  2. [http://www.njelections.org/2011-legislative-districts/towns-district.pdf Municipalities (sorted by 2011 legislative district)] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-06-04 , [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2014.)
  3. "RACE". [[United States Census Bureau]].
  4. "RACE FOR THE POPULATION 18 YEARS AND OVER". [[United States Census Bureau]].
  5. "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". [[United States Census Bureau]].
  6. [https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2021/2021-12-voter-registration-by-legislative-district.pdf Statewide Voter Registration Summary], [[New Jersey Department of State]], December 1, 2021. Accessed December 30, 2021.
  7. [http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~njvi/d/20.php District 20 Profile], [[Rutgers University]]. Accessed July 12, 2010. {{webarchive. link. (June 9, 2007)
  8. "2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book". [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]].
  9. [https://web.archive.org/web/19981206050138/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/html98/legdist.htm Legislative Districts], [[New Jersey Legislature]], backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of December 6, 1998. Accessed July 12, 2010.
  10. Sullivan, Joseph F. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E1EFF3C55137B93C5A9178AD95F478785F9 "New Jersey Democrats Win Control of Legislature for the 3d Time in This Century; G.O.P. Beaten in Ocean, Monmouth and Bergen 'Way of Striking Back' McDermott Beaten Azzolina Beaten"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 7, 1973. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  11. Sullivan, Ronald. [https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/20/archives/7-of-25-exgop-assemblymen-seek-comebacks.html "7 of 25 Ex-G.O.P. Assemblymen Seek Comebacks"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 20, 1975. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  12. Narvaez, Alfonso A. [https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/10/archives/gop-expected-to-maintain-strength-in-morris-union-and-essex.html "G.O.P. Expected to Maintain Strength In Morris, Union and Essex Counties"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 10, 1977.
  13. With both seats open, Democrats [[Thomas J. Deverin]] and [[Raymond Lesniak]], who had both previously served as representatives of the 21st district, won in the Assembly. In the Senate race that year, Anthony E. Russo was also shifted to the 21st district and was replaced by [[John T. Gregorio]], an incumbent Democrat who was shifted from the 21st district.Narvaez, Alfonso A. [https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/17/archives/new-jersey-pages-democrats-running-strong-in-campaigns-in-13th-17th.html "Democrats Running Strong in Campaigns in 13th, 17th and 21st Districts"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 17, 1977. Accessed July 14, 2010.
  14. Narvaez, Alfonso A. [https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/20/nyregion/gregorio-guilty-of-a-conspiracy-in-network-case.html "GREGORIO GUILTY OF A CONSPIRACY IN NETWORK CASE"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 20, 1982. Accessed July 14, 2010.
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  17. Friedman, Matt. [http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/21764/cohen-nuder-investigation-child-pornography "Cohen under investigation for child pornography"], [[Politicker Network. PolitickerNJ.com]], July 24, 2008. Accessed July 25, 2008.
  18. via [[Associated Press]]. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AC&p_theme=ac&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=122B935DA057B578&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Dems choose Cohen's successor"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', August 21, 2008. Accessed July 15, 2010.
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  20. [http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2015/01/roselle_mayor_jamel_holley_tapped_for_assembly_sea.html Roselle Mayor Jamel Holley tapped for Assembly seat; Dems call for change in Trenton], nj.com. Accessed April 23, 2015
  21. "NJ Election Information and Results Archive". Secretary of State of New Jersey.
  22. (1983). "Journal of the Second Annual Session of the One Hundred and Thirty-Second Senate of the State of New Jersey being the Two Hundredth Session of the Legislature". New Jersey Legislature.
  23. Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/09/nyregion/vote-totals-for-the-elections-held-on-tuesday-in-new-york-and-new-jersey.html "Vote Totals for the Elections Held on Tuesday in New York and New Jersey"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 9, 1989. Accessed June 23, 2010.
  24. Sullivan, Joseph F. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/04/nyregion/1993-elections-new-jersey-legislature-cut-taxes-30-percent-whitman-s-top.html "THE 1993 ELECTIONS: New Jersey Legislature; Cut Taxes 30 Percent? Whitman's Top Statehouse Allies Say Not So Fast"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 4, 1993. Accessed June 23, 2010.
  25. Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/nyregion/the-1997-elections-results-the-races-for-the-new-jersey-assebly.html "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for the New Jersey Assembly"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 5, 1997. Accessed July 12, 2010.
  26. Kocieniewski, David. [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/03/nyregion/1999-elections-new-jersey-assembly-democrats-win-seats-three-districts-narrowing.html "THE 1999 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY; Democrats Win Seats in Three Districts, Narrowing Republicans' Majority"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 3, 1999. Accessed July 12, 2010.
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