| State: | New Jersey |
| District Number: | 13 |
| Obsolete: | yes |
| Created: | 1930 |
| Eliminated: | 2010 |
| Years: | 1933-2013 |
| Population Year: | 2000 |
New Jersey's 13th congressional district was a congressional district which was created for the 73rd United States Congress in 1933, based on redistricting following the 1930 United States census. It was last represented by Democrat Albio Sires when it was eliminated due to redistricting following the 2010 United States census. Most of this district became part of a newly redrawn 8th district in 2013.
From 2003 to 2013, (based on redistricting following the 2000 census), the district contains portions of 4 counties and 17 municipalities:
Newark (part; also 10)
Hudson County
Bayonne (part), East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, Jersey City (part; also 9 and 10), Kearny (part; also 9), North Bergen (part; also 9), Union City, Weehawken, West New York
Carteret, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge Township (part; also 7)
Elizabeth (part; also 10), Linden (part; also 7 and 10)
Before district elimination based on the last redistricting in 2013, of the district's 647,258 residents, 308,247 identified themselves as being Hispanic, accounting for 47.6% of the district's population.[1]
This district was considered solidly Democratic, with the winner of the Democratic Party primary the near-certain winner in November's general election, both in the special and regular elections.
Sires won the seat in a special election on November 7, 2006, after Bob Menendez resigned from this seat on January 16, 2006 in advance of his assumption of the Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who in turn left his Senate seat to become Governor of New Jersey. Sires also won the general election, and will represent the district through at least 2008.
The two most prominent names running for the seat in the regular election were the former Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, Albio Sires of West New York, and Assemblyman Joseph Vas, who is also Mayor of Perth Amboy, both of whom ran in the Democratic primary. While the two faced off to fill the full two-year term, Vas decided not to run in the special election to fill the two months remaining in Menendez's term.[2]
In the primary for the full two-year term, held on June 6, 2006, Albio Sires beat Joseph Vas, capturing almost 75% of the vote. In the general election, Sires beat Republican John Guarini who had run unopposed for the GOP nod.
In the special primary to fill the remaining two months of the current term, Sires won approximately 90% of the vote, defeating James Geron, assuring Sires of the seat as no Republican opposed him in the special election. Sires was sworn into Congress on November 13, 2006.
| Year | Office | Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Gore 72 - 25% | ||
| 2004 | President | Kerry 69 - 31% | ||
| 2008 | President | Obama 75 - 24% |
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1933 | |||||||
| align=left | Mary Teresa Norton | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1951 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Retired. | ||
| align=left | Alfred D. Sieminski | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Lost renomination. | ||
| align=left | Cornelius E. Gallagher | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1973 | Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Lost renomination. | ||
| align=left | Joseph J. Maraziti | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 | Elected in 1972. Lost re-election. | ||
| align=left | Helen Stevenson Meyner | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979 | Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Lost re-election. | ||
| align=left | James A. Courter | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | Edwin B. Forsythe | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1983 – March 29, 1984 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982. Died. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 29, 1984 – November 6, 1984 | |||||
| align=left | Jim Saxton | Republican | nowrap | November 6, 1984 – January 3, 1993 | Elected to finish Forsythe's term. Also elected to the next full term. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the . | ||
| align=left | Bob Menendez | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – January 16, 2006 | Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Resigned when appointed U.S. senator. | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 16, 2006 – November 13, 2006 | |||||
| align=left | Albio Sires | Democratic | nowrap | November 13, 2006 – January 3, 2013 | Elected to finish Menendez's term. Also elected to the next full term. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the . | ||
| District dissolved January 3, 2013 | |||||||