New Jersey's 13th legislative district explained

District:13
Senate:Declan O'Scanlon (R)
Assembly:Gerard Scharfenberger (R)
Vicky Flynn (R)
Independent:40.6
Democratic:27.5
Republican:30.8
Percent White:79.9
Percent Black:2.7
Percent Native American:0.2
Percent Asian:7.7
Percent Pacific Islander:0.0
Percent Other Race:2.6
Percent Two Or More Races:6.9
Percent Hispanic:8.7
Population:227,695
Year:2020 Census
Voting-Age:178,696
Registered:183,388

New Jersey's 13th legislative district is one of 40 in the state, covering the Monmouth County municipalities of Aberdeen Township, Atlantic Highlands Borough, West Long Branch, Hazlet Township, Highlands Borough, Holmdel Township, Keansburg Borough, Keyport Borough, Little Silver Borough, Marlboro Township, Middletown Township, Monmouth Beach Borough, Oceanport Borough, Rumson Borough, Sea Bright Borough and Union Beach Borough.[1]

Demographic characteristics

As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 227,695, of whom 178,696 (78.5%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 181,986 (79.9%) White, 6,158 (2.7%) African American, 355 (0.2%) Native American, 17,581 (7.7%) Asian, 40 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 5,858 (2.6%) from some other race, and 15,717 (6.9%) from two or more races.[2] [3] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19,915 (8.7%) of the population.[4]

The district had 183,388 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 74,386 (40.6%) were registered as unaffiliated, 56,393 (30.8%) were registered as Republicans, 50,499 (27.5%) were registered as Democrats, and 2,110 (1.1%) were registered to other parties.[5]

Political representation

The legislative district overlaps with 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 13th district consisted of all of Bergen County. Senators were elected at-large from the entire county (four members in the 1965 election, five in the 1967 and 1971 elections) while the district was split into five Assembly districts that each elected two members.

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

Session Senators
elected
1966–1967 4 Ned Parsekian (D)Matthew Feldman (D)Jeremiah F. O'Connor (D) Alfred Kiefer (D)
1968–1969 5 Fairleigh Dickinson Jr. (R) Joseph C. Woodcock (R) Alfred D. Schiaffo (R) Garrett W. Hagedorn (R) Willard B. Knowlton (R)
1970–1971
1972–1973 5 Harold C. Hollenbeck (R) Joseph C. Woodcock[6] (R) Garrett W. Hagedorn (R) Alfred D. Schiaffo (R)[7] Frederick E. Wendel (R)

The members elected to the Assembly from each district are as follows:

Session District 13A District 13B District 13C District 13D District 13E
1968–1969 Harold C. Hollenbeck (R) Thomas Costa (R) William M. Crane (R) Peter Moraites (R) Richard Vander Plaat (R)
Peter J. Russo (R) Austin Volk (R) Michael J. Ferrara (R) Harry Randall Jr. (R) Richard W. DeKorte (R)
1970–1971 Harold C. Hollenbeck (R) Thomas Costa (R) Richard Vander Plaat (R) Peter Moraites (R) Austin Volk (R)
Peter J. Russo (R) William J. Dorgan (R)[8] William M. Crane (R) Richard W. DeKorte (R) Edward A. Connell (R)
1972–1973 Peter J. Russo (R) Byron Baer (D) C. Gus Rys (R) Charles E. Reid (R) Robert C. Veit (R)
Harold A. Pareti (R) Albert Burstein (D) John A. Spizziri (R) Richard W. DeKorte (R)[9] Edward H. Hynes (D)

District composition since 1973

When the 40-district legislative map was created in 1973, the 13th district was located in the capital region of the state, only including Trenton and Hamilton Township in Mercer County. In the 1981 redistricting, the 13th was moved to encompass the northern Monmouth County shoreline (including Middletown Township, Hazlet, Matawan) and Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County. Following the 1991 redistricting, Matawan was removed but Spotswood in Middlesex County was added to the 13th. The district reverted to its 1981 configuration in 2001 with the exception of the addition of Holmdel. In the 2011 redistricting, the 13th district was located entirely in Monmouth County by removing Old Bridge and adding some of boroughs in the northeast corner of the county including Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Monmouth Beach, and Oceanport.[1]

Helen Chiarello Szabo took office in a November 1976 special election to succeed S. Howard Woodson, who resigned in September 197 6to head the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. In turn, Szabo stepped down in September 1978 to become the superintendent of elections in Mercer County and was succeeded in a November 1978 special election by Gerald R. Stockman.[10]

Election history

Session Senate General Assembly
1974–1975 Joseph P. Merlino (D)Francis J. McManimon (D)S. Howard Woodson (D)
1976–1977 Francis J. McManimon (D)S. Howard Woodson (D)[11]
Helen Chiarello Szabo (D)[12]
1978–1979 Joseph P. Merlino (D)Francis J. McManimon (D)Helen Chiarello Szabo (D)[13]
Gerald R. Stockman (D)[14]
1980–1981 Francis J. McManimon (D)Gerald R. Stockman (D)
1982–1983 John P. Gallagher (R)Richard Van Wagner (D)Bill Flynn (D)
1984–1985 Richard Van Wagner (D)Jacqueline Walker (D)Bill Flynn (D)
1986–1987 Joseph Azzolina (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
1988–1989 Richard Van Wagner (D)[15]  
Joe Kyrillos (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
1990–1991 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
James T. Phillips (D)[16]
1992–1993 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joseph Azzolina (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
1994–1995 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joseph Azzolina (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
1996–1997 Joseph Azzolina (R)Joann H. Smith (R)
1998–1999 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joseph Azzolina (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2000–2001 Joseph Azzolina (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2002–2003 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joseph Azzolina (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2004–2005 Joe Kyrillos (R)Joseph Azzolina (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2006–2007 Amy Handlin (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2008–2009 Joe Kyrillos (R)Amy Handlin (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2010–2011 Amy Handlin (R)Samuel D. Thompson (R)
2012–2013 Joe Kyrillos (R)Amy Handlin (R)Declan O'Scanlon (R)
2014–2015 Joe Kyrillos (R)Amy Handlin (R)Declan O'Scanlon (R)
2016–2017 Amy Handlin (R)Declan O'Scanlon (R)
2018–2019 Declan O'Scanlon (R)Amy Handlin (R)Serena DiMaso (R)
2020–2021 Gerard Scharfenberger (R)Serena DiMaso (R)
2022–2023 Declan O'Scanlon (R)Gerard Scharfenberger (R)Vicky Flynn (R)
2024–2025 Declan O'Scanlon (R)Gerard Scharfenberger (R)Vicky Flynn (R)

Election results, 1973–present

General Assembly

Election results, 1965–1973

General Assembly

District 13E

Notes and References

  1. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#13 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 November 29, 1973 to become a Bergen County Prosecutor
  7. Resigned November 29, 1973 to become a Bergen County judge
  8. Resigned September 1, 1971
  9. Resigned April 30, 1973 to become personal counsel to Gov. William T. Cahill
  10. Mullin, Edward J. "The lone contest was hardly noticed", Herald News, November 12, 1978. Accessed December 15, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Stockman, a Democrat, was elected over Republican Mario D. Rossetti to complete the unexpired term of Mrs. Helen Chiarello Szabo as General Assembly member for the 13th District. Mrs. Szabo had resigned from the Assembly to take her new job as Mercer County superintendent of elections. Stockman will complete her term and presumably will run for re-election to a full two-year term next year. The pattern was sequential. Mrs. Szabo, a journeyman or journeywoman Trenton politician, had come into the Assembly in a special 1976 election to fill the unexpired term of the Rev. S. Howard Woodson, formerly speaker of the House, had resigned to take a better political job as president of the State Civil Service Commission."
  11. Resigned September 27, 1976 to become head of New Jersey Civil Service Commission
  12. Elected in November 1976 special election, sworn in on November 8, 1976
  13. Resigned September 25, 1978 to become Mercer County elections superintendent
  14. Elected in November 1978 special election, sworn in November 13, 1978
  15. Resigned July 19, 1991 to take a job at the Sports and Exposition Authority
  16. Appointed to the Senate on July 29, 1991