Redistricting Process: New Jersey has separate commissions for legislative and congressional redistricting. Congressional redistricting is done by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission. The leaders of the four caucuses in the General Assembly and the two state party chairpersons each appoint two members of the public to form the core of the commission. These twelve members then elect by majority vote a thirteenth person to serve as chair. If they fail to elect a chairperson by July 15 of the redistricting year, they must submit to the Supreme Court the names of their top two candidates. The court then selects a chair based on education and occupational experience. The chair cannot have held public office in the past five years. The commission is then charged with creating a redistricting plan while holding a minimum of three public hearings. As specified in Article II Section 9 of the New Jersey Constitution, the plan is due by the third Tuesday of the second year of the redistricting cycle (2012 for the current cycle). If the commission fails to approve a plan by the deadline, it must submit its top two plans to the Supreme Court, which will then make the final decision.
Governor: Republican Chris Christie
Legislature: Democrats control both chambers.
Number of Congressional Seats in 2011: 12 (-1 since 2010)
2011 Ideal District Population: 676,300
Current District by District Politics and Demographics
1st District– Democrat Robert Andrews
2010 Congressional Results: Andrews 63%
2008 Congressional Results: Andrews 72%
2006 Congressional Results: Andrews (Unopposed)
2004 Congressional Results: Andrews 75%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 34% Obama 65%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 39% Kerry 61%
District Population: 669,169
Over/Under Populated by: 7,131 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 434,774
African American Population: 115,336
Hispanic Population: 80,986
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 1st District.*
2nd District– Republican Frank LoBiondo
2010 Congressional Results: LoBiondo 66%
2008 Congressional Results: Lobiondo 59%
2006 Congressional Results: Lobiondo 62%
2004 Congressional Results: Lobiondo 65%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 45% Obama 54%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 50% Kerry 49%
District Population: 692,205
Over/Under Populated by: 15,905 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 458,834
African American Population: 89,491
Hispanic Population: 103,337
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 2nd District.
3rd District– Republican Jon Runyan
2010 Congressional Results: Runyan 50.1%
2008 Congressional Results: John H. Adler (D) 52%
2006 Congressional Results: Jim Saxton (R) 58%
2004 Congressional Results: Saxton 63%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 47% Obama 52%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 51% Kerry 49%
District Population: 680,341
Over/Under Populated by: 4,041 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 533,351
African American Population: 62,910
Hispanic Population: 43,211
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 3rd District.
4th District– Republican Chris Smith
2010 Congressional Results: Smith 69%
2008 Congressional Results: Smith 66%
2006 Congressional Results: Smith 66%
2004 Congressional Results: Smith 67%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 52% Obama 47%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 56% Kerry 44%
District Population: 724,596
Over/Under Populated by: 48,296 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 541,628
African American Population: 58,033
Hispanic Population: 88,210
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 4th District.
5th District– Republican Scott Garrett
2010 Congressional Results: Garrett 65%
2008 Congressional Results: Garrett 56%
2006 Congressional Results: Garrett 55%
2004 Congressional Results: Garrett 58%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 54% Obama 45%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 57% Kerry 43%
District Population: 666,551
Over/Under Populated by: 9,749 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 532,292
African American Population: 12,859
Hispanic Population: 50,523
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 5th District.
6th District– Democrat Frank Pallone
2010 Congressional Results: Pallone 55%
2008 Congressional Results: Pallone 67%
2006 Congressional Results: Pallone 69%
2004 Congressional Results: Pallone 67%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 38% Obama 61%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 43% Kerry 57%
District Population: 668,806
Over/Under Populated by: 7,494 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 357,969
African American Population: 97,304
Hispanic Population: 119,020
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 6th District.
7th District– Republican Leonard Lance
2010 Congressional Results: Lance 60%
2008 Congressional Results: Lance 50.2%
2006 Congressional Results: Mike Ferguson (R) 49.4%
2004 Congressional Results: Ferguson 57%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 49% Obama 50%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 53% Kerry 47%
District Population: 672,885
Over/Under Populated by: 3,415 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 464,527
African American Population: 36,241
Hispanic Population: 75,310
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 7th District.
8th District– Democrat Bill Pascrell
2010 Congressional Results: Pascrell 63%
2008 Congressional Results: Pascrell 71%
2006 Congressional Results: Pascrell 71%
2004 Congressional Results: Pascrell 69%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 36% Obama 63%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 41% Kerry 59%
District Population: 660,424
Over/Under Populated by: 15,876 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 301,752
African American Population: 83,668
Hispanic Population: 219,291
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 8th District.
9th District– Democrat Steve Rothman
2010 Congressional Results: Rothman 60%
2008 Congressional Results: Rothman 68%
2006 Congressional Results: Rothman 71%
2004 Congressional Results: Rothman 68%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 38% Obama 61%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 41% Kerry 59%
District Population: 661,379
Over/Under Populated by: 14,921 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 332,651
African American Population: 45,522
Hispanic Population: 174,314
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 9th District.
10th District– Democrat Donald Payne
2010 Congressional Results: Payne 86%
2008 Congressional Results: Payne (Unopposed)
2006 Congressional Results: Payne (Unopposed)
2004 Congressional Results: Payne 97%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 13% Obama 87%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 18% Kerry 82%
District Population: 634,343
Over/Under Populated by: 41,957 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 108,188
African American Population: 352,730
Hispanic Population: 129,286
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 10th District.
11th District– Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen
2010 Congressional Results: Frelinghuysen 67%
2008 Congressional Results: Frelinghuysen 62%
2006 Congressional Results: Frelinghuysen 62%
2004 Congressional Results: Frelinghuysen 68%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 54% Obama 45%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 58% Kerry 42%
District Population: 674,349
Over/Under Populated by: 1,951 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 512,994
African American Population: 18,300
Hispanic Population: 69,445
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 11th District.
12th District– Democrat Rush Holt
2010 Congressional Results: Holt 53%
2008 Congressional Results: Holt 63%
2006 Congressional Results: Holt 66%
2004 Congressional Results: Holt 59%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 41% Obama 58%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 46% Kerry 54%
District Population: 701,881
Under/Over Populated by: 25,581 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 448,112
African American Population: 78,749
Hispanic Population: 55,917
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 12th District.
13th District– Democrat Albio Sires
2010 Congressional Results: Sires 74%
2008 Congressional Results: Sires 75%
2006 Congressional Results: Sires 78%
2004 Congressional Results: Robert Menendez (D) 76%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 24% Obama 75%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 31% Kerry 69%
District Population: 684,965
Over/Under Populated by: 8,665 (New Jersey is losing a seat)
White Population: 187,806
African American Population: 74,258
Hispanic Population: 346,294
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 13th District.
*In some browsers, the link to the 2010 Census page may link to a table of demographics for several states as opposed to the districts for the specific state. If this occurs, click the “Back to Search” link at the top of the page and then click on the arrow next to “Geographies” in the left column. Select “All Congressional Districts within New Jersey” and then close the box. Click on the link for “Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age and Housing Occupancy: 2010” and the correct table should appear.
Redistricting Process taken from Rose Institute study “Redistricting in America.”