American legislative district
New Jersey 's 17th legislative districtNew Jersey Legislature . The district includes the Middlesex County municipalities of New Brunswick , North Brunswick , Piscataway , along with the Somerset County municipalities of Franklin Township and South Bound Brook .[ 1] [ 2]
Demographic characteristics [ edit ] As of the 2020 United States census , the district had a population of 235,376, of whom 188,877 (80.2%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 71,398 (30.3%) White , 44,522 (18.9%) African American , 1,963 (0.8%) Native American , 57,211 (24.3%) Asian , 113 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 38,911 (16.5%) from some other race , and 21,258 (9.0%) from two or more races.[ 3] [ 4] Hispanic or Latino of any race were 63,076 (26.8%) of the population.[ 5]
The district had 149,525 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 58,590 (39.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated , 70,819 (47.4%) were registered as Democrats , 18,119 (12.1%) were registered as Republicans , and 1,997 (1.3%) were registered to other parties.[ 6]
Homeownership was high. The district had a large population of Asian Americans , third highest in the state, while having the third-smallest population of senior citizens among the 40 legislative districts. Registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a 3 to 1 margin.[ 7] [ 8]
Political representation [ edit ] For the 2024-2025 session , the 17th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Bob Smith (D , Piscataway ) and in the General Assembly by Joseph Danielsen (D, Franklin Township ) and Kevin Egan (D, New Brunswick ).[ 9]
The legislative district overlaps with New Jersey's 6th and 12th congressional districts.
Apportionment history [ edit ] Since the 1973 creation of the 40-district legislative map, the 17th district has always been anchored by the city of New Brunswick and Piscataway Township. The 1973 iteration of the district also included Franklin Township and Manville in Somerset County and Highland Park , Middlesex , Dunellen , and South Plainfield .[ 10] 14th district while the 17th picked up the Union County city of Plainfield .[ 11] Bound Brook was added.[ 12]
As part of the 2001 apportionment , based on the results of the 2000 United States census , changes were made which removed Bound Brook (moved to the 16th district ), Middlesex Borough and Plainfield City (to the 22nd district ) and South Plainfield borough (to the 18th district ) and added Franklin Township (from the 16th legislative district), Milltown Borough and North Brunswick Township (also from the 18th district).[ 13]
Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative apportionment in 2011, based on the results of the 2010 census resulted in the removal of Highland Park (to the 18th district).[ 14]
After 20 years in office, John A. Lynch Sr. did not run for re-election in 1977, due to illness. Assembly Speaker William J. Hamilton ran for the vacant Senate seat and Joseph D. Patero and David C. Schwartz were the Democratic candidates for Assembly in a district that voted for Democrats by a 2-1 margin.[ 15]
After losing the support of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, Assemblymember Angela L. Perun announced in March 1985 that she had switched parties and would run as a Republican in that year's general election, after having served two terms in office as a Democrat and having been a vocal opponent of the Reagan Administration .[ 16] [ 17] Bob Smith was given Perun's spot and the Assembly ballot, and he won election together with incumbent David C. Schwartz.[ 18]
Despite his confidence that he would win re-election if he chose to run, David C. Schwartz decided not to run for re-election in 1991 after seven terms of office, saying that he was reluctant to serve in the minority party in the new legislative term.[ 19] Jerry Green took Schwartz's open seat in the general Election.[ 20]
Bob Smith was elected to his first Senate term in November 2001 to fill the seat vacated after Lynch retired.[ 21] Jerry Green was relocated to the 22nd legislative district in redistricting following the 2000 United States census , and the two open Assembly seats were filled by Upendra J. Chivukula and Joseph V. Egan . Chivukula's election made him the first South Asian to be elected to the New Jersey Legislature and the third Indian American to be elected to a state assembly in the United States.[ 22] [ 23] Joseph Danielsen was sworn into the New Jersey General Assembly on October 16, 2014 to fill the vacant seat of Upendra J. Chivukula , who left office to take a seat as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities .[ 24]
Owing to Middlesex County's strong Democratic leanings, the 17th district has never elected a Republican legislator, only being briefly represented by one when Perun switched parties in 1985.[ 25]
[ 26]
^ Switched parties on March 14, 1985
^ Resigned September 30, 2014 to become a Board of Public Utilities commissioner
^ Appointed to the Assembly on October 16, 2014
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^ Staff. "THE REGION; Jersey Lawmaker Switching Parties" , The New York Times
^ Staff. "ASSEMBLYWOMAN SWITCHES TO REPUBLICAN SIDE" , The Philadelphia Inquirer
^ "Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey . 1985. p. 9. Retrieved July 26, 2015 .^ Sullivan, Joseph F. "Redistricting Worries Democrats" , The New York Times
^ "Official Results General Election November 5, 1991" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 6, 1981. p. 19. Retrieved July 26, 2015 .^ Ackerman, Spencer. "To fill Lynch's big shoes, Smith stresses education" [permanent dead link ] The Daily Targum
^ Staff. "President of India gives distinguished service award to State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula" , Somerset Reporter , January 15, 2010. Accessed July 1, 2010. "Chivukula is the first and only South Asian lawmaker in the New Jersey Legislature and the only Asian-American member in the General Assembly. "
^ Kumar, Tanmaya. "'I went from community issues to mainstream politics'" , India Abroad
^ Friedman, Matt. "N.J. Assembly swears in new member from Somerset County" , NJ.com , October 16, 2014. Accessed October 19, 2014. "Joseph Danielsen, the municipal chairman of the Franklin Township Democrats, was sworn in today to fill the state Assembly seat just vacated by Democrat Upendra Chivukula, whom Gov. Chris Christie tapped for a seat on the state Board of Public Utilities."
^ Edge, Wally (February 18, 2009). "Through parts of four decades, ten districts that have never flipped" . Politicker NJ . Retrieved July 26, 2015 .^ "NJ Election Information and Results Archive" . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Retrieved July 19, 2015 .^ Staff. "Vote Totals for the Elections Held on Tuesday in New York and New Jersey" , The New York Times
^ 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
^ a b Staff. "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for the New Jersey Assembly" , The New York Times
^ Kocieniewski, David. "THE 1999 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY; Democrats Win Seats in Three Districts, Narrowing Republicans' Majority" , The New York Times
^ Staff. "THE 2001 ELECTIONS; RESULTS -- The Races for New Jersey" , The New York Times
^ Kocieniewski, David. "THE 2003 ELECTION: THE STATEHOUSE; Democrats Seize Senate And Widen Assembly Gap" , The New York Times
^ Staff. "2009 Election Results" Archived February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , The New York Times
^ Tzatzev, Aleksi. "Democratic candidates hold onto NJ Legislative seats in Middlesex County" , Daily Targum
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Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2007 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2003 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2001 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official Results, General Election Returns for the Office of State Senate for Election Held November 4, 1997" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Official List, General Election Returns for the Office of Senate and Assembly for Election Held November 2, 1993" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Official Results, General Election, November 5, 1991" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Results of the General Election Held November 8, 1977" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ a b "Results of the General Election Held November 6, 1973" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey . November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021 .^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2019 Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey . December 2, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2020 .^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey . November 29, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017 .^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly for GENERAL ELECTION 11/03/2015 Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2011 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2009 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2007 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2005 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly 12-02-2003 for November 2003 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2001 General Election" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 1999 General Election" . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original on August 14, 2004. Retrieved May 12, 2016 .^ "Official Results, General Election Returns for the Office of State Assembly for Election Held November 4, 1997" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Official List, General Election Results for the Office of General Assembly for Election Held November 7, 1995" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "NJ General Assembly 17" . Our Campaigns . Retrieved September 30, 2017 .^ "Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Results of the General Election Held on November 6, 1979" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .^ "Results of the General Election Held November 4, 1975" (PDF) . Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016 .
Districts are co-terminous for both
Senate and
General Assembly (each district elects
one Senator and
two members of the General Assembly)
Districts Apportionments
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2.3
2.3