| District: | 26 |
| Senate: | Joseph Pennacchio (R) |
| Assembly: | Brian Bergen (R) Jay Webber (R) |
| Democratic: | 27.9 |
| Republican: | 34.7 |
| Independent: | 36.4 |
| Percent White: | 71.1 |
| Percent Black: | 2.4 |
| Percent Native American: | 0.2 |
| Percent Asian: | 15.1 |
| Percent Pacific Islander: | 0.0 |
| Percent Other Race: | 3.4 |
| Percent Two Or More Races: | 7.7 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 10.3 |
| Population: | 224,584 |
| Year: | 2020 census |
| Voting-Age: | 179,363 |
| Registered: | 178,510 |
New Jersey's 26th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature. The district includes the Morris County municipalities of Boonton, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Lincoln Park, Montville, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, Pequannock, Parsippany-Troy Hills, and Riverdale; and the Passaic County municipalities of Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, and Wanaque.[1] [2]
As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 224,584, of whom 179,363 (79.9%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 159,789 (71.1%) White, 5,396 (2.4%) African American, 494 (0.2%) Native American, 33,908 (15.1%) Asian, 49 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7,733 (3.4%) from some other race, and 17,215 (7.7%) from two or more races.[3] [4] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,197 (10.3%) of the population.[5]
The 26th district had 178,510 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 65,311 (36.6%) were registered as unaffiliated, 61,674 (34.5%) were registered as Republicans, 49,748 (27.9%) were registered as Democrats, and 1,777 (1.0%) were registered to other parties.[6]
The Asian population was above the state average, while there were relatively few African American and Hispanic residents in the district. The percentage of children receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was the fourth lowest of any district and the percentage of the population age 65 and over was eighth highest. The district had one of the lowest percentages in the state of registered Democrats, with Republicans outnumbering Democrats by a more than 2 - 1 margin.[7] [8]
The legislative district is located within New Jersey's 11th congressional district and New Jersey's 5th congressional district.
The 26th district when it was created in 1973 along with the 40-district legislative map was based in the urban area around The Oranges, specifically West Orange, Orange, East Orange, and a small sliver of the North Ward of Newark. In the 1981 redistricting, the district moved out of Essex County and was routed along the eastern border of Morris County from Chatham Township to Kinnelon including Parsippany-Troy Hills and Morris Plains and northern Passaic County's West Milford and Ringwood. Following the 1991 redistricting, Chatham Township was removed but Madison and Mountain Lakes were added in Morris County; in Passaic County, however, West Milford and Ringwood were shifted to the 40th district, Bloomingdale and Pompton Lakes instead made up the Passaic portion of the district during this decade. West Caldwell, Caldwell, and Fairfield Township in Essex Count were now included within the district.
Changes to the district made in the 2001 legislative apportionment based on the results of the 2000 United States census added Hanover Township (from the 25th district) and West Milford Township (from the 40th district) and removed Madison Borough (to the 21st district), Mountain Lakes (to the 25th district) and Fairfield Township and West Caldwell Township (to the 27th district).[9] Changes to the district made as part of the 2011 apportionment include the addition of Fairfield Township (from the 27th district), Jefferson Township (from the 25th district), North Caldwell Borough (from the 27th district), Rockaway Township (from the 25th district), Verona Township (from the 40th district) and West Caldwell Township (from the 27th district). The 2011 apportionment removed Bloomingdale (to the 39th district), Chatham Borough (to the 21st district), East Hanover, Florham Park, and Hanover Township (to the 27th district), Pequannock Township, Pompton Lakes Borough, and Riverdale (to the 40th district).[10]
In the 1977 Democratic primary for the Senate seat, incumbent Frank J. Dodd faced opposition from Assemblyman Eldridge Hawkins and tennis star Althea Gibson, who was serving as state Athletic Commissioner. Dodd was supported by the Essex County Democratic organization under County Chairman Harry Lerner. With Gibson and Hawkins splitting the anti-organization vote, Dodd won the nomination and the subsequent general election.[11]
In 1983, Leanna Brown challenged her former running-mate, James P. Vreeland, for the Republican nomination for State Senate in the Republican primary in what the Philadelphia Daily News described as a "stunning upset" and was elected to the State Senate, becoming the first woman from the Republican Party to serve in the upper house of the State Legislature.[12] [13] In 1993, Brown resigned from the Senate after she was appointed to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, initially to serve out the unexpired term of Charles J. Irwin. Assemblymember Robert Martin was chosen to fill Brown's vacancy in the Senate.[14]
In December 1988, Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean nominated Ralph A. Loveys to succeed Joseph A. Sullivan as the chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority[15] In January 1989, Alex DeCroce, a member of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, was named to fill Loveys' vacant seat in the General Assembly.[16]
Carol J. Murphy was nominated in February 2001 to serve on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities by acting governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco. In February 2001, a special convention of district Republicans chose Joseph Pennacchio to fill the General Assembly seat vacated by Murphy.[17] Alex DeCroce died on January 9, 2012, after collapsing in a bathroom inside the Statehouse, just moments after the 214th Legislature held its final voting session.[18] On January 25, 2012, his widow, BettyLou DeCroce, was selected by the Morris County Republican Committee to replace him in the Assembly until a November 2012 special election was held.[19] She won the special election and subsequent general elections running with Jay Webber. On June 8, 2021, DeCroce lost her reelection bid to former Pompton Lakes councilman Christian Barranco.[20] Following the 2021 reapportionment, new municipalities comprised 58% of the reconfigured district.[21] Barranco, who since moved to Jefferson Township, ran for reelection in the 25th district and incumbent 25th district Assemblyman Brian Bergen (a resident of Denville) ran successfully for reelection in the 26th in 2023.