New Jersey's 25th legislative district explained

District:25
Senate:Anthony M. Bucco (R)
Assembly:Christian Barranco (R)
Aura K. Dunn (R)
Democratic:31.2
Republican:32.8
Independent:35.0
Percent White:68.5
Percent Black:3.7
Percent Native American:0.5
Percent Asian:6.5
Percent Pacific Islander:0.0
Percent Other Race:9.7
Percent Two Or More Races:11.1
Percent Hispanic:21.4
Population:221,043
Year:2020 census
Voting-Age:174,207
Registered:174,014

New Jersey's 25th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature. The district includes the Morris County municipalities of Boonton Township, Butler, Dover Town, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Mine Hill Township, Morris Township, Morristown, Mount Arlington, Randolph Township, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens, and Wharton; and the Passaic County municipality of West Milford.[1] [2]

Demographic characteristics

As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 221,043, of whom 174,207 (78.8%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 151,305 (68.5%) White, 8,170 (3.7%) African American, 1,187 (0.5%) Native American, 14,367 (6.5%) Asian, 50 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 21,482 (9.7%) from some other race, and 24,482 (11.1%) from two or more races.[3] [4] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47,305 (21.4%) of the population.[5]

The district had high levels of income on average, but the communities of Dover, Mine Hill, Victory Gardens are well below the state average. The district had a high percentage of Hispanic residents, with Dover having some 60% of its residents as being of Hispanic origin.

Although traditionally thought of as a Republican stronghold, the demographics of the district have trended more Democratic in recent years. At the time of the 2011 legislative apportionment, Republicans held a 16,737 vote (12.0%) registration advantage.[6] By 2019, that advantage was down to 7,801 votes (4.9%).[7] The 25th district had 174,014 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 60,881 (35.0%) were registered as unaffiliated, 57,063 (32.8%) were registered as Republicans, 54,279 (31.2%) were registered as Democrats, and 1,791 (1.0%) were registered to other parties.[8]

Political representation

The district is split between New Jersey's 5th, New Jersey's 7th, and New Jersey's 11th congressional districts.

Apportionment history

The first iteration of the 25th district came in 1973 upon the creation of the statewide 40-district legislative map. The 25th at that time traveled from Maplewood along the western border of Essex County to Fairfield Township (also including North Caldwell, Passaic County's Wayne Township, and Lincoln Park and Pequannock Township in Morris County. In the next redistricting in 1981, the district became based through the center of Morris County running from Harding Township through Morristown, Dover, Boonton, and Jefferson Township. The shape of the district remained mostly the same in the 1991 redistricting picking up Mendham Township, Mount Arlington, and Roxbury Township, but losing Madison and Mountain Lakes.

Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative apportionment in 2001, based on the results of the 2000 United States census added Mountain Lakes Borough (from the 26th legislative district) and removed Hanover Township (to the 26th legislative district) and Harding Township (to the 21st legislative district).[9] As a consequence of the New Jersey Legislative apportionment in 2011, Jefferson Township and Rockaway Township were moved to the 26th district. The 25th district was shifted south and west, adding Morris County GOP strongholds Mendham Borough (from the 16th district), Chester Borough, Chester Township and Washington Township (from the 24th district); and Bernardsville in Somerset County (from the 16th district).

William E. Bishop was elected in a special election held on April 20, 1982, to fill the vacancy left by James J. Barry Jr., who had been named as Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean.[10] Bishop was defeated by Morris County Freeholder Rodney Frelinghuysen and incumbent Arthur R. Albohn in the 1983 Republican primary for the full term.[11] [12]

In the 1993 general election, former Assemblymember Gordon MacInnes defeated Republican incumbent John H. Dorsey by nearly 300 votes, making him the first Democrat in 18 years to win a legislative seat in Morris County.[13]

After Frelinghuysen took office in the United States House of Representatives in January 1995, Anthony R. Bucco was chosen by Morris County Republican county committee members to fill Frelinghuysen's vacant seat in the Assembly.[14] Bucco and Michael Patrick Carroll won the six-way June 1995 Republican primary to fill the district's two Assembly ballot spots, which became open when Albohn decided against running for re-election for a ninth term of office.[15] In this primary, the two winners defeated then Morris County Freeholder Chris Christie and future Assemblyman Rick Merkt.[16] In 1997, Anthony R. Bucco left the Assembly to successfully contest the Democratic-held Senate seat, with Merkt taking the Assembly seat vacated by Bucco.[17]

With Merkt running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2009, the 25th district saw a contested Republican primary with incumbent Michael Patrick Carroll facing Anthony M. Bucco and the younger Bucco's brother-in-law Douglas Cabana, a member of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Bucco and Carroll won the two ballot spots and were elected in the general election.[18]

In 2011, Michael Patrick Carroll and Tony Bucco retained their seats in the Assembly, defeating Democratic challengers Gale Heiss-Colucci and George Stafford, while Anthony R. Bucco retained his Senate seat over challenger Rick Thoeni.[19] In 2013, with no Democratic challengers and only token opposition, all three incumbents sailed to victory, earning over 80% of the vote.[20] [21]

In 2017, in the closest race since the district was created in 1973, Anthony Bucco narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Lisa Bhimani by just over 2500 votes to retain his Senate seat.[22] In the Assembly race, Carroll and the younger Bucco defeated Democratic challengers Thomas Moran and Richard Corcoran by a similar margin.[23] In 2018, Carroll announced he would not seek re-election in 2019, choosing instead to run for Morris County surrogate.[24] On June 4, 2019, in the first contested Assembly primary in the district since 2009, Tony Bucco and Brian Bergen defeated Aura K. Dunn and John Barbarula to win the Republican nomination for General Assembly.[25]

Senator Anthony R. Bucco died in September 2019. A special convention of the Republican County Committee members from the district met on October 15, 2019, and unanimously selected his son, Assemblyman Anthony M. "Tony" Bucco to fill his father's seat until a 2020 special election. Assemblyman Bucco resigned from the Assembly the day he was sworn into the Senate. Another special convention was then held made up of the Republican County Committee members, in order to fill the vacant Assembly seat. At a November 21 convention, Aura K. Dunn was chosen to serve until the end of the current legislative session, January 14, 2020.[26] [27] [28] Upon the start of the new session, Tony Bucco declined to be seated to the Assembly seat to which he was elected in November 2019 and a third convention was held on February 1, 2020, which unanimously selected Dunn to serve until a special election in November 2020.[29] [30]

Election history

Session Senate General Assembly
1974–1975 James Wallwork (R) Jane Burgio (R)Thomas Kean (R)
1976–1977 Jane Burgio (R)Thomas Kean (R)
1978–1979 James Wallwork (R)Jane Burgio (R)Frederic Remington (R)
1980–1981 Jane Burgio (R)Frederic Remington (R)
1982–1983 John H. Dorsey (R)Arthur R. Albohn (R)James J. Barry Jr. (R)[31]
William E. Bishop (R)[32]
1984–1985 John H. Dorsey (R)Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
1986–1987 Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
1988–1989 John H. Dorsey (R)Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
1990–1991[33] Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
1992–1993 John H. Dorsey (R)Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)
1994–1995[34] Gordon MacInnes (D)Arthur R. Albohn (R)Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)[35]
Anthony R. Bucco (R)[36]
1996–1997 Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony R. Bucco (R)
1998–1999[37] Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2000–2001[38] Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2002–2003[39] Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2004–2005[40] Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2006–2007 Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2008–2009 Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Rick Merkt (R)
2010–2011[41] Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony M. Bucco (R)
2012–2013 Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony M. Bucco (R)
2014–2015 Anthony R. Bucco (R)Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony M. Bucco (R)
2016–2017 Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony M. Bucco (R)
2018–2019 Anthony R. Bucco (R)[42] Michael Patrick Carroll (R)Anthony M. Bucco (R)[43]
Anthony M. Bucco (R)Aura K. Dunn (R)[44]
2020–2021 Brian Bergen (R)Seat vacant[45]
Aura K. Dunn (R)[46]
2022–2023 Anthony M. Bucco (R) Brian Bergen (R)Aura K. Dunn (R)
2024–2025 Anthony M. Bucco (R) Christian Barranco (R)Aura K. Dunn (R)

Election results

General Assembly

Notes and References

  1. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#25 Districts by Number
  2. http://www.njelections.org/2011-legislative-districts/towns-district.pdf Municipalities (sorted by 2011 legislative district)
  3. Web site: RACE . . October 19, 2021.
  4. Web site: RACE FOR THE POPULATION 18 YEARS AND OVER . . October 19, 2021.
  5. Web site: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE . . October 19, 2021.
  6. Web site: 2011 Voter Registration Summary by Legislative District. October 24, 2011. New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections. September 8, 2019.
  7. https://njelections.org/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2019/2019-09-voter-registration-by-legislative-district.pdf Statewide Voter Registration Summary
  8. https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2021/2021-12-voter-registration-by-legislative-district.pdf Statewide Voter Registration Summary
  9. https://web.archive.org/web/19981206050138/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/html98/legdist.htm Legislative Districts
  10. Staff. "FOR THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE, 15 NEW FACES", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 10, 1983. Accessed September 7, 2010. "Bishop filled the vacancy of Assemblyman James J. Barry Jr., who left the Assembly to become director of consumer affairs in the Kean administration."
  11. News: Frelinghuysen Upsets Bishop In 25th District . subscription . June 9, 1983 . Bernardsville News . July 29, 2015.
  12. Web site: Official Results Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly Primary Election June 7, 1983 . 9 . Secretary of State of New Jersey . 1983 . July 29, 2015.
  13. Cichowski, John. "POWERFUL GOP SENATOR LOSES IN MORRIS -- DEMOCRAT MACINNES DEFEATS DORSEY IN SQUEAKER", The Record (Bergen County), November 3, 1993. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  14. Cichowski, John. "GOP FILLS FRELINGHUYSEN'S SEAT", The Record (Bergen County), January 12, 1995. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  15. Cichowski, John. "BUCCO WATCHES POLITICAL FORTUNES IMPROVE", The Record (Bergen County), June 8, 1995. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  16. Web site: Official List Primary Election Returns for the Office of General Assembly for Election Held June 6, 1995 . Secretary of State of New Jersey . July 6, 1995 . July 29, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160707153355/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/1995-primary-election-results-general-assembly.pdf . July 7, 2016 . dead .
  17. via Associated Press. "", The Press of Atlantic City, January 12, 1998. Accessed September 7, 2010. "Republican Rick Merkt won the Morris County seat left vacant by Bucco, and Republican Peter J. Biondi takes Kavanaugh's seat in Somerset County."
  18. Melisurgo, Len. "Family feud in 25th District Assembly race in Morris County", The Star-Ledger, May 24, 2009. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  19. Staff. "Somerset Hills voters support Republicans", The Bernardsville News, November 8, 2011. Accessed November 30, 2011.
  20. Web site: 2013 Official General Election Results, State Senate. New Jersey Division of Elections.. July 27, 2019.
  21. Web site: 2013 Official General Election Results, General Assembly. New Jersey Division of Elections.. July 27, 2019.
  22. Web site: 2017 General Election Results, State Senate. NJ Division of Elections.. November 29, 2017. July 27, 2019.
  23. Web site: 2017 General Election Results, General Assembly. NJ Division of Elections.. November 29, 2017. July 27, 2019.
  24. Web site: Carroll to run for Morris County surrogate. 2018-05-07. New Jersey Globe. en-US. 2019-07-27.
  25. Web site: 2019 Primary Election Results, General Assembly. NJ Division of Elections. June 5, 2019. July 27, 2019.
  26. Web site: Pizarro . Max . Dunn Sworn into the Assembly . Insider NJ . November 25, 2019 . November 28, 2019.
  27. Web site: Biryukov . Nikita . Bucco elected to Senate . New Jersey Globe . Sea of Reeds Media . October 18, 2019.
  28. Web site: Wildstein . David . GOP must now fill Bucco Assembly seat . New Jersey Globe . Sea of Reeds Media . October 18, 2019.
  29. Web site: Republicans gain seats in Assembly, win special Senate election in 'Murphy midterms' . Matt . Friedman . November 6, 2019 . . November 15, 2019.
  30. Web site: Westhoven . William . He used to pump gas as a newly arrived Turkish immigrant. Now, he's a Morris County freeholder . . March 8, 2020 . February 1, 2020 . "The convention on Saturday began with a unanimous hand vote to return Aura Dunn to the Assembly. Dunn was selected for a temporary appointment at a November GOP convention to replace Anthony M. Bucco. Bucco vacated his District 25 Assembly seat after being elected in yet another GOP convention in October to replace his father, former Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, who died in office on Sept. 16.".
  31. Resigned February 22, 1982
  32. Elected to the Assembly in April 1982 special election, sworn in on May 3, 1982
  33. Staff. "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.
  34. Sullivan, Joseph F. "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.
  35. Resigned January 3, 1995 upon his election to Congress
  36. Appointed to the Assembly on January 23, 1995
  37. Staff. "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for the New Jersey Assembly", The New York Times, November 5, 1997. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  38. Kocieniewski, David. "THE 1999 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY; Democrats Win Seats in Three Districts, Narrowing Republicans' Majority", The New York Times, November 3, 1999. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  39. Staff. "THE 2001 ELECTIONS; RESULTS -- The Races for New Jersey", The New York Times, November 8, 2001. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  40. Kocieniewski, David. "THE 2003 ELECTION: THE STATEHOUSE; Democrats Seize Senate And Widen Assembly Gap", The New York Times, November 5, 2003. Accessed June 23, 2010.
  41. Staff. "2009 Election Results", The New York Times, November 9, 2009. Accessed September 7, 2010.
  42. Died September 16, 2019
  43. Appointed to the Senate on October 24, 2019, won November 3, 2020 special election to complete the term
  44. Appointed to the Assembly on November 25, 2019
  45. [Anthony M. Bucco]
  46. Appointed to the Assembly on February 3, 2020, won November 3, 2020 special election to complete the term