New Jersey General Assembly
| New Jersey General Assembly | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Party control: | Democrat |
| Session start:[1] | January 4, 2021 |
| Session end:[1] | January 11, 2022 |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | None |
| Redistricting: | Commission |
| Salary: | $49,000/year |
| Members | |
| Total: | 80 |
| Democrats: | 52 |
| Republicans: | 28 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 0 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Craig Coughlin (D) |
| Maj. Leader: | Louis Greenwald (D) |
| Min. Leader: | Jon M. Bramnick (R) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 5, 2019 |
| Next election: | November 2, 2021 |
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower chamber of the New Jersey State Legislature. Alongside the New Jersey State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the New Jersey state government and works alongside the governor of New Jersey to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the New Jersey General Assembly include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The New Jersey General Assembly meets in the State House in Trenton, New Jersey.
This page contains the following information on the New Jersey General Assembly.
- Which party controls the chamber
- The chamber's current membership
- Partisan control of the chamber over time
- Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
- A district map
- How redistricting works in the state
- Legislation currently under consideration
- Legislative session dates
- Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
- A list of committees
Contents
- 1 Party control
- 2 Members
- 3 Historical party control
- 4 Elections
- 5 District map
- 6 Redistricting
- 7 Sessions
- 8 Legislative roles and procedures
- 9 Committees
- 10 Constitutional amendments
- 11 See also
- 12 Footnotes
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the New Jersey General Assembly as of October 2021:
| Party | As of October 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Members
Leadership
The speaker of the Assembly is the presiding officer of the body.[2]
Current leadership and members
- House speaker: Craig Coughlin (D)
- Majority leader: Louis Greenwald (D)
- Minority leader: Jon M. Bramnick (R)
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $49,000/year | No per diem is paid. |
Swearing in dates
New Jersey legislators assume office at noon on the second Tuesday in January following the election.[3]
Membership qualifications
In order to be a candidate to run for the New Jersey General Assembly, a candidate must:[4]
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be 21 years of age or older.
- Reside in the state for a minimum of two years prior to the general election.
- Reside in the legislative district for one year prior to the general election.
Historical party control
Between 1991 and 2019, partisan control of the New Jersey General Assembly shifted from a Republican to a Democratic majority. Republicans went from having a 36-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 24-seat disadvantage after the 2019 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey General Assembly following every general election from 1991 to 2019. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
New Jersey General Assembly Party Control: 1991-2019
| Year | '91 | '93 | '95 | '97 | '99 | '01 | '03 | '05 | '07 | '09 | '11 | '13 | '15 | '17 | '19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 22 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 44 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 52 | 54 | 52 |
| Republicans | 58 | 53 | 50 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 26 | 28 |
From 1991 to 2001, Republicans held majorities in the chamber, the largest following the 1991 election when Republicans held a 36-seat advantage. In elections between 1993 and 1999, Republicans lost seats in every election. Republicans won the 54 seats required for a two-thirds supermajority once.
Democrats took control of the New Jersey General Assembly in the 2001 elections. Democrats picked up nine seats in that election and won a 44-36 majority. Between 2001 and 2019, Democrats held their largest majority following the 2017 elections when they held a 28-seat advantage. The New Jersey General Assembly was resistant to the national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). Democrats never fell below 47 seats during Obama's presidency. From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats all together.
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2021, New Jersey was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 2004-2009, 2018-2021
- Republican trifecta: 1994-2001
- Divided government: 1992-1993, 2002-2003, 2010-2017
New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2021
Ten years of Democratic trifectas • Eight years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Elections
Elections by year
New Jersey state assembly members serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. New Jersey holds elections for its legislature in odd years.
Four states, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia hold their state legislative elections in odd-numbered years. New Jersey began holding elections in odd-numbered years when the state adopted a new constitution in 1947. Prior to the new constitution, members of the Assembly were elected to one-year terms, members of the Senate to three-year terms and governors to three-year terms. The new constitution changed the term structure to include two years for representatives and four-year terms for senators and governors. Because the constitution was adopted in an odd-numbered year, elections were also held in odd-numbered years and have continued in such a manner to this day.[5]
2021
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly are taking place in 2021. The primary was on June 8, 2021, and the general election is on November 2. The filing deadline for candidates was April 5, 2021.[6]
2019
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2019. The primary was on June 4, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was April 1, 2019.
| New Jersey General Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2019 | After November 6, 2019 | |
| Democratic Party | 54 | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 28 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |
2017
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2017. All 80 seats were up for election. State assembly members are elected to two-year terms. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[7] Legislative districts in the New Jersey General Assembly are multi-member districts, with two representatives in each district. In Democratic and Republican primary elections, the top two candidates move forward to the general election, and the top two candidates in the general election are declared the winners.[8]
| New Jersey General Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Before November 7 elections | After November 7 elections | |
| Democratic Party | 52 | 54 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 26 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |
2015
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 2, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 30, 2015.[9] All 80 seats were up for election in 2015.
Heading into the election, Democrats held a 48-31 majority with one vacancy. Democrats gained four seats in the election, giving them a 52-28 majority.
| New Jersey General Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2015 | After November 3, 2015 | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | 28 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | 80 | |
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2013Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 4, 2013, and a general election on November 5, 2013. All 80 seats were up for election in 2013. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 48-32 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election.
2011Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on April 10, 2011, and a general election on November 8, 2011. The candidate filing deadline was January 7, 2011. All 80 seats were up for election in 2011. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 47-33 majority. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving them a 48-32 majority.
During the 2011 election, the total value of contributions to the 215 Assembly candidates was $25,001,973. The top 10 contributors were:[10]
2009Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 9, 2009, and a general election on November 10, 2009. During the 2009 election, the total value of contributions to the Assembly candidates was $25,487,974. The top 10 contributors were:[11]
2007Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 5, 2007, and a general election on November 6, 2007. During the 2007 election, the total value of contributions to the Assembly candidates was $26,388,602. The top 10 contributors were:[12]
2005Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 7, 2005, and a general election on November 8, 2005. During the 2005 election, the total value of contributions to the Assembly candidates was $23,299,489. The top 10 contributors were:[13]
2003Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 3, 2003, and a general election on November 4, 2003. During the 2003 election, the total value of contributions to the Assembly candidates was $15,682,188. The top 10 contributors were:[14]
2001Elections for the office of the New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 26, 2001, and a general election on November 6, 2001. During the 2001 election, the total value of contributions to the Assembly candidates was $12,642,876. The top 10 contributors were:[15]
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Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the New Jersey State Legislature, the vacancy will be filled by an interim appointment by the county leadership of the political party that holds the seat. The office will be on the ballot in the next general election, unless the vacancy occurs within 51 days of the election. If that is the case, the appointment would stand until the following general election.[16][17]
See sources: New Jersey Const., Art. IV, Sec. IV(1)
District map
- See also: New Jersey state legislative districts
The state of New Jersey has 40 legislative districts. General Assembly members are elected from the same legislative districts as are members of the New Jersey State Senate. Each district elects two assembly members but only one senator.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.