- New Jersey's 7th congressional district
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"NJ-7" redirects here. NJ-7 may also refer to New Jersey Route 7.
New Jersey's 7th congressional district 
Current Representative Leonard Lance (R–Clinton Township) Area 595.03 mi² (1,541.13 km²) Distribution 90.38% urban, 9.62% rural Population (2009) 669,857 Median income $109,775 Ethnicity 79.0% White, 5.7% Black, 10.9% Asian, 10.4% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, 3.1% other Cook PVI R+3 New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.
In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson (who had first been elected in 2000, replacing Bob Franks) did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of eight candidates. In the 2008 general election, Lance defeated Assemblywoman Linda Stender by a margin of 25,833 votes and became the Congressman.[1]
In the 2010 general election, Democratic challenger Ed Potosnak challenged Lance, but Lance defeated Potosnak by a margin of 59% to 41%. For the 2012 election, both Potosnak and former Edison Mayor Jun Choi have announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination, although the field could be affected by Congressional redistricting which will take place prior to the election.[2][3]
Contents
Counties and municipalities in the district
For the 108th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2000 Census), the district contains portions of four counties and 54 municipalities.
- Alexandria Township, Bethlehem Township, Bloomsbury, Califon, Clinton, Clinton Township, Flemington, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Holland Township, Lebanon, Lebanon Township, Milford, Raritan Township, Readington, Tewksbury Township, Union Township
- Bedminster Township, Bernardsville, Bound Brook, Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township (part), Far Hills, Green Brook Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Rocky Hill, South Bound Brook, Warren Township, Watchung
- Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Fanwood, Garwood, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union Township (part), Westfield, Winfield
Voting
House of Representatives elections
2010 New Jersey 7th District General Election Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Ed Potosnak 71,486 40.6% Republican Leonard Lance 104,642 59.4% Majority Turnout House of Representatives election 2008: New Jersey congressional district 7 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Leonard Lance 142,092 50.8% +1.4% Democratic Linda Stender 116,255 41.6% -6.4% Independent Michael Hsing 15,826 5.7% N/A Independent Dean Greco 3,008 1.1% N/A Independent Thomas Abrams 2,408 .9% -.7% Majority 25,837 9.2% +7.7% Turnout 279,589 Republican hold Swing -3.9% House of Representatives election 2006: New Jersey congressional district 7 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Mike Ferguson 98,399 49.4% -7.5% Democratic Linda Stender 95,454 48.0% +6.3% Independent Thomas Abrams 3,176 1.6% +.8% Libertarian Darren Young 2,046 1.0% N/A Majority 2,945 1.5% -13.7% Turnout 199,075 Republican hold Swing +6.9% House of Representatives election 2004: New Jersey congressional district 7 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Mike Ferguson 162,597 56.9% -1.1% Democratic Steve Brozak 119,081 41.7% +.8% Independent Thomas Abrams 2,153 .8% N/A Independent Matthew Williams 2,046 .7% N/A Majority 43,516 15.2% Turnout 285,877 Republican hold Swing +1.0% Presidential elections
Election results from presidential races Year Office Results 2008 President Obama 51 - 48% 2004 President Bush 53 - 47% 2000 President Bush 49 - 48% Representatives
Representative Party Years District home Note District created March 4, 1873 Isaac W. Scudder Republican March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 Jersey City Retired Augustus A. Hardenbergh Democratic March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 Jersey City Retired Lewis A. Brigham Republican March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 Jersey City Lost re-election Augustus A. Hardenbergh Democratic March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 Jersey City Retired William McAdoo Democratic March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891 Jersey City Lost re-nomination Edward F. McDonald Democratic March 4, 1891 – November 5, 1892 Harrison Died in office Vacant November 5, 1892 – March 3, 1893 George B. Fielder Democratic March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 Jersey City Retired Thomas McEwan, Jr. Republican March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899 Jersey City Retired William D. Daly Democratic March 4, 1899 – July 31, 1900 Hoboken Died in office Vacant July 31, 1900 – December 3, 1900 Allan L. McDermott Democratic December 3, 1900 – March 3, 1903 Jersey City Redistricted to the 10th district Richard W. Parker Republican March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911 Newark Redistricted from the 6th district Edward W. Townsend Democratic March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 Montclair Redistricted to the 10th district Robert G. Bremner Democratic March 4, 1913 – February 5, 1914 Totowa Died in office Vacant February 5, 1914 – April 7, 1914 Dow H. Drukker Republican April 7, 1914 – March 3, 1919 Passaic Retired Amos H. Radcliffe Republican March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923 Paterson Lost re-election George N. Seger Republican March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933 Passaic Redistricted to the 8th district Randolph Perkins Republican March 4, 1933 – May 25, 1936 Woodcliff Lake Died in office Vacant May 25, 1936 – January 3, 1937 J. Parnell Thomas Republican January 3, 1937 – January 2, 1950 Allendale Resigned upon being convicted of fraud Vacant January 2, 1950 – February 6, 1950 William B. Widnall Republican February 6, 1950 – December 31, 1974 Hackensack Lost re-election, resigned Andrew Maguire Democratic January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 Ridgewood Lost re-election Marge Roukema Republican January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 Ridgewood Redistricted to the 5th district Matthew J. Rinaldo Republican January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 Union Township Retired Bob Franks Republican January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 Summit Retired to run for U.S. Senate Mike Ferguson Republican January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2009 Warren Retired Leonard Lance Republican January 3, 2009 – present Clinton Township Incumbent 2006 election
Party Candidate Votes Won Percent Won Republican Ferguson (Incumbent) 98,399 votes 49.42% Democrat Stender 95,454 votes 47.94% Other Abrams 3,176 votes 1.59% Libertarian Young 2,046 votes 1.02% Source: NJ Division of Elections. Official 2006 Election Results.[1].
Major Issues in 2006 race
Linda Stender campaigned on the issues of stem cell research and the Iraq War, while Mike Ferguson campaigned on the issues of Ms. Stender's prior legislative record and her close ties to New Jersey's Democratic political machine.
Effect of redistricting
New Jersey's 7th district and the 12th district were redistricted after the 2000 census by a bipartisan panel. By consensus of the panel, the Democratic and Republican parties agreed to trade areas in the two districts to make them safer for their respective incumbents. It is likely that this tradeoff, which made New Jersey's 7th less competitive for Democrats, had an effect on the outcome of 2006 election, which was decided by approximately 3,000 votes. Areas of the former 7th district such as Somerset in Franklin Township (Somerset County) that have historically voted reliably Democratic were moved into the 12th district to shore up the Democratic incumbent's hold on the adjacent 12th district. Despite the redistricting, NJ-07 is still the most competitive House district in New Jersey, and was the only one considered to be in play in 2006 by political pundits.
District Changes
The district has been progressing in a different direction in the past few years, turning from a once reliable Republican district to a competitive district with a slight lean towards the former. The district has become more mixed in terms of ethnic backgrounds with Caucasians now comprising, as of 2009, 79 percent of the racial makeup of the district, African Americans 5.7 percent, Asians 11 percent and Latinos 10 percent of the district. In addition, the district is home to a large group of foreign born residents, who totaled in 2009, 131,000 or 20 percent of the population.[4]
References
- ^ "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapHNJ/H/07. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ http://www.edpotosnak.com/press-releases/319-potosnak-files-2012-bid-for-us-congress-in-njs-7th-congressional-district.html
- ^ http://www.politickernj.com/47411/choi-announces-congressional-candidacy
- ^ http://fastfacts.census.gov/servlet/ACSCWSFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=lynnwood+road&_county=&_cd=&_state=&_zip=08820&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_industry=
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
New Jersey's congressional districts All districts: At-large 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
The At-large and 14th and 15th districts are obsolete.
See also: New Jersey's past & present Representatives, Senators, and Delegations, 2010 elections, 2012 elections
All U.S. districts – Apportionment – Redistricting – Gerrymandering – MapsCategories:- Congressional districts of New Jersey
- Hunterdon County, New Jersey
- Middlesex County, New Jersey
- Somerset County, New Jersey
- Union County, New Jersey
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