New Jersey's 11th legislative district explained

District:11
Senate:Vin Gopal (D)
Assembly:Margie Donlon (D)
Luanne Peterpaul (D)
Independent:39.4
Democratic:34.5
Republican:24.8
Percent White:61.4
Percent Black:13.0
Percent Native American:0.7
Percent Asian:4.3
Percent Pacific Islander:0.0
Percent Other Race:10.8
Percent Two Or More Races:9.8
Percent Hispanic:18.9
Population:227,063
Year:2020 census
Voting-Age:182,117
Registered:160,507

New Jersey's 11th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature, covering the Monmouth County municipalities of Allenhurst Borough, Asbury Park City, Bradley Beach, Colts Neck Township, Deal Borough, Eatontown Borough, Fair Haven, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Interlaken Borough, Loch Arbour Village, Long Branch City, Neptune City Borough, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank Borough, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, and Tinton Falls Borough.[1]

Demographic characteristics

As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 227,063, of whom 182,117 (80.2%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 139,463 (61.4%) White, 29,418 (13.0%) African American, 1,574 (0.7%) Native American, 9,695 (4.3%) Asian, 71 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 24,487 (10.8%) from some other race, and 22,355 (9.8%) from two or more races.[2] [3] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42,924 (18.9%) of the population.[4]

The district had 160,507 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 63,269 (39.4%) were registered as unaffiliated, 55,316 (34.5%) were registered as Democrats, 39,736 (24.8%) were registered as Republicans, and 2,186 (1.4%) were registered to other parties.[5]

Political representation

The legislative district overlaps with New Jersey's 3rd, New Jersey's 4th, and 6th congressional districts.

1965–1973

In the interim period between the 1964 Supreme Court decision Reynolds v. Sims which required the creation of state legislature districts to be made as equal in population as possible, and the 1973 creation of the 40-district map, the 11th district consisted of all of Essex County. Because of its large population, the 11th Senate district elected multiple people to the State Senate at-large. It was further divided into six Assembly districts in 1967 and 1969, and five in 1971; in all cases, each district elected two people to serve in the General Assembly.

The members elected to the Senate from this district are as follows:

Session Senators
elected
1966–1967 4 Nicholas Fernicola (D)Maclyn Goldman (D)John J. Giblin (D)Hutchins F. Inge (D)
1968–1969 6 Michael Giuliano (R) Gerardo Del Tufo (R) Alexander Matturri (R) James Wallwork (R) Milton Waldor (R) David W. Dowd (R)[6]  
1970–1971
Charles DeMarco (D)[7]
1972–1973 5 Michael Giuliano (R) Ralph DeRose (D) James Wallwork (R) Frank J. Dodd (D) Wynona Lipman (D)

The members elected to the General Assembly from the 11th Senate district are as follows:

Session District 11A District 11B District 11C District 11D District 11E District 11F
1968–1969 George C. Richardson (D) Paul Policastro (D) Ralph R. Caputo (R) Kenneth T. Wilson (R) Herbert Rinaldi (R) Philip D. Kaltenbacher (R)
Walter J. Vohdin (D) Ronald Owens (D) C. Richard Fiore (R) Frank J. Dodd (D) John N. Dennis (R) Thomas Kean (R)
1970–1971 Paul Policastro (D) George C. Richardson (D) Ralph R. Caputo (R)[8] Herbert Rinaldi (R) Kenneth T. Wilson (R) Thomas Kean (R)
James Lordi (D) Ronald Owens (D) C. Richard Fiore (R) David Goldfarb (R) John N. Dennis (R) Philip D. Kaltenbacher (R)
1972–1973 George C. Richardson (D) Anthony Imperiale (I) Carl Orechio (R) Eldridge Hawkins (R) Thomas Kean (R) District eliminated
Ronald Owens (D) Frank Megaro (D) John N. Dennis (R) Peter G. Stewart (D) Philip D. Kaltenbacher (R)

District composition since 1973

When the 40-district state legislature apportionment was created in 1973, the 11th district consisted of central Monmouth County suburban townships including Freehold (and the borough of the same name), Howell, Colts Neck, Manalapan, Marlboro, Holmdel, and Hazlet with a spur from Tinton Falls (then called New Shrewsbury) to Sea Bright, and continuing up the Atlantic coastline to Highlands and Atlantic Highlands. In the 1981 redistricting, the district hugged the Monmouth County municipalities along the coastline from Manasquan to Atlantic Highlands inclusive of other inland townships and boroughs including Wall Township, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, and Oceanport. The 1990s iteration of the district remained largely the same with the exception of coastline municipalities south of South Belmar shifting to the 10th and the addition of Eatontown, Fair Haven, Rumson, and West Long Branch. Following the 2001 redistricting, most of the boroughs shifted to the 10th in the 1991 redistricting returned to the 11th (with the exception of Manasquan) while Fair Haven and Oceanport were shifted to the 12th.

Described by NJ.com as "perhaps the biggest upset of the night", Republican Jennifer Beck lost her bid for re-election to the Senate in 2017 to Democratic challenger Vin Gopal, in what was the third-most expensive of the 120 legislative races statewide, with total spending in excess of $4 million.[9] The district had been represented only by Republicans since 1992. With the addition of heavily Democratic communities like Asbury Park in the 2011 apportionment, Democrats gained a 32%-23% margin over Republicans in numbers of registered voters. Democrats Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling won the two Assembly seats in 2015 and Gopal's 2017 win over Beck, combined with holds by Assembly incumbents Downey and Houghtaling, put all three 11th district seats in the hands of Democrats.[10]

Election history

Session Senate General Assembly
1974–1975 Alfred N. Beadleston (R)Morton Salkind (D)Walter J. Kozloski (D)
1976–1977 Marie Sheehan Muhler (R)Walter J. Kozloski (D)
1978–1979 S. Thomas Gagliano (R)Marie Sheehan Muhler (R)Walter J. Kozloski (D)[11]
1980–1981 Marie Sheehan Muhler (R)John O. Bennett (R)
1982–1983 Brian T. Kennedy (R)Joseph A. Palaia (R)Anthony M. Villane (R)
1984–1985 Frank Pallone (D)Joseph A. Palaia (R)Anthony M. Villane (R)
1986–1987 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Anthony M. Villane (R)
1988–1989 Frank Pallone (D)[12]  
Joseph A. Palaia (R)Anthony M. Villane (R)[13]  
John Villapiano (D)[14]
John D'Amico Jr. (D)[15]
Joseph A. Palaia (R)[16]  
Paul A. Kapalko (R)[17]
1990–1991 Daniel P. Jacobson (D)John Villapiano (D)
1992–1993 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Thomas S. Smith (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
1994–1995 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Thomas S. Smith (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
1996–1997 Thomas S. Smith (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
1998–1999 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Thomas S. Smith (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
2000–2001 Thomas S. Smith (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
2002–2003 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Thomas S. Smith (R)[18] Steve Corodemus (R)
Sean T. Kean (R)[19]
2004–2005 Joseph A. Palaia (R)Sean T. Kean (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
2006–2007 Sean T. Kean (R)Steve Corodemus (R)
2008–2009 Sean T. Kean (R)Dave Rible (R)Mary Pat Angelini (R)
2010–2011 Dave Rible (R)Mary Pat Angelini (R)
2012–2013 Jennifer Beck (R)Caroline Casagrande (R)Mary Pat Angelini (R)
2014–2015 Jennifer Beck (R)Caroline Casagrande (R)Mary Pat Angelini (R)
2016–2017 Joann Downey (D)Eric Houghtaling (D)
2018–2019 Vin Gopal (D)Joann Downey (D)Eric Houghtaling (D)
2020–2021 Joann Downey (D)Eric Houghtaling (D)
2022–2023 Vin Gopal (D)Marilyn Piperno (R)Kimberly Eulner (R)
2024–2025 Vin Gopal (D)Margie Donlon (D)Luanne Peterpaul (R)

Election results, 1973–present

General Assembly

Election results, 1965–1973

General Assembly

District 11F

Notes and References

  1. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#11 Districts by Number
  2. Web site: RACE . . October 16, 2021.
  3. Web site: RACE FOR THE POPULATION 18 YEARS AND OVER . . October 16, 2021.
  4. Web site: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE . . October 16, 2021.
  5. https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2021/2021-12-voter-registration-by-legislative-district.pdf Statewide Voter Registration Summary
  6. Resigned on November 16, 1970, to become counsel for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
  7. Elected in November 1971 special election to complete term of David W. Dowd
  8. Resigned on October 4, 1971
  9. Sullivan, S. P.; and Johnson, Brent. "N.J. election results 2017: How the dramatic legislative races shook out", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 8, 2017. Accessed November 9, 2017. "In perhaps the biggest upset of the night, former Monmouth County Democratic Chair Vin Gopal unseated veteran Republican state Sen. Jennifer Beck in the 11th District along the Jersey Shore.... The candidates and outside special interest groups spent more than $4 million on the race -- the third-most of any legislative election this year."
  10. Napoliello, Alex. "Vin Gopal upsets incumbent Jennifer Beck in hotly contested Dist. 11 race", NJ Advance media for NJ.com, November 7, 2017. Accessed November 9, 2017. "According to unofficial results from the Monmouth County Clerk's Office, Gopal defeated Beck 28,750 votes to 25,108 votes.... This Shore district was once completely controlled by Republican lawmakers, but it saw a shift two years ago when Democrats picked up both its Assembly seats. And in redistricting, District 11 picked up Democratic towns such as Asbury Park. Democrats outnumber Republicans 32 percent to 23 percent in the district."
  11. Died November 25, 1979
  12. Resigned on November 8, 1988, after his election to Congress
  13. Resigned on July 11, 1988, to join Department of Community Affairs
  14. Elected in September 15, 1988 special election, sworn in September 28, 1988
  15. Appointed to the Senate on December 20, 1988, defeated in November 1989 special election
  16. Elected to the Senate in November 1989 special election, sworn into the Senate on November 20, 1989
  17. Appointed on November 27, 1989 to fill unexpired term of Palaia
  18. Died September 26, 2002
  19. Appointed to the Assembly on October 28, 2002