New Jersey Senate (Redirected from New Jersey State Senate)

New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 11, 2022
Leadership
President
Nicholas Scutari (D)
since January 11, 2022
President pro tempore
Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D)
since January 11, 2022
Majority Leader
Teresa Ruiz (D)
since January 11, 2022
Minority Leader
Anthony M. Bucco (R)
since July 1, 2023
Structure
Seats40
Political groups
Majority

Minority

Length of term
4 years (with one two-year term each decade)
AuthorityArticle IV, New Jersey Constitution
Salary$49,000/year
Elections
Last election
November 7, 2023
Next election
November 2, 2027
RedistrictingNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
New Jersey State House
Trenton, New Jersey
Website
New Jersey State Legislature

The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure). Each district has one senator and two members of the New Jersey General Assembly, the lower house of the legislature. Prior to the election in which they are chosen, senators must be a minimum of 30 years old and a resident of the state for four years to be eligible to serve in office.

From 1844 until 1965 (when the Reynolds v. Sims US Supreme Court decision mandated all state legislators be elected from districts of roughly equal population), each county was an electoral district electing one senator. Under the 1844 Constitution, the term of office was three years, which was changed to four years with the 1947 Constitution. Since 1968 the Senate has consisted of 40 senators, who are elected in a "2-4-4" cycle. Senators serve a two-year term at the beginning of each decade, with the rest of the decade divided into two four-year terms. The "2-4-4" cycle was put into place so that Senate elections can reflect the changes made to the district boundaries on the basis of the decennial United States Census. If the cycle were not put into place, then the boundaries would sometimes be four years out of date before being used for Senate elections. Rather, with the varied term, the boundaries are only two years out of date. Thus elections for Senate seats take place in years ending with a "1", "3", or "7" (i.e. next elections in 2027, 2031, and 2033).

Interim appointments are made to fill vacant legislative seats by the county committee or committees of the party of the vacating person (since a constitutional amendment passed on November 8, 1988). The office is on the ballot for the next general election, even if the other Senate seats are not up for election in that year (such as in years ending with a "5" or "9", such as 2009 or 2015). The sole exception to this is if the vacancy occurred within 51 days of the election, in which case the appointment stands until the following general election.

Composition

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
Begin 2018-2020 legislature 25 15 40 0
End 2018-2020 legislature 26 13 39 1
2020-2022 legislature 25 15 40 0
2022-2024 legislature 24 16 40 0
2024-2026 legislature 25 15 40 0
Latest voting share 62.5% 37.5%

List of state senators

Map of The New Jersey State Senate for the 2022-2024 Legislative Session.
 Democratic senator
 Republican senator
District Senator Party Assumed office
District 1 Mike Testa Republican December 5, 2019
District 2 Vincent J. Polistina Republican November 8, 2021
District 3 John Burzichelli Democratic January 9, 2024
District 4 Paul Moriarty Democratic January 9, 2024
District 5 Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democratic December 15, 2014
District 6 James Beach Democratic January 3, 2009
District 7 Troy Singleton Democratic January 9, 2018
District 8 Latham Tiver Republican January 9, 2024
District 9 Carmen Amato Republican January 9, 2024
District 10 James W. Holzapfel Republican January 10, 2012
District 11 Vin Gopal Democratic January 9, 2018
District 12 Owen Henry Republican January 9, 2024
District 13 Declan O'Scanlon Republican January 9, 2018
District 14 Linda R. Greenstein Democratic December 6, 2010
District 15 Shirley Turner Democratic January 13, 1998
District 16 Andrew Zwicker Democratic January 11, 2022
District 17 Bob Smith Democratic January 8, 2002
District 18 Patrick J. Diegnan Democratic May 9, 2016
District 19 Joe F. Vitale Democratic January 13, 1998
District 20 Joseph Cryan Democratic January 9, 2018
District 21 Jon Bramnick Republican January 11, 2022
District 22 Nicholas Scutari Democratic January 13, 2004
District 23 Doug Steinhardt Republican December 19, 2022
District 24 Parker Space Republican January 9, 2024
District 25 Anthony M. Bucco Republican October 24, 2019
District 26 Joseph Pennacchio Republican January 8, 2008
District 27 John F. McKeon Democratic January 9, 2024
District 28 Renee Burgess Democratic September 29, 2022
District 29 Teresa Ruiz Democratic January 8, 2008
District 30 Robert W. Singer Republican October 14, 1993
District 31 Angela V. McKnight Democratic January 9, 2024
District 32 Raj Mukherji Democratic January 9, 2024
District 33 Brian P. Stack Democratic January 8, 2008
District 34 Britnee Timberlake Democratic January 9, 2024
District 35 Nellie Pou Democratic January 10, 2012
District 36 Paul Sarlo Democratic May 19, 2003
District 37 Gordon Johnson Democratic January 11, 2022
District 38 Joseph Lagana Democratic April 12, 2018
District 39 Holly Schepisi Republican March 25, 2021
District 40 Kristin Corrado Republican October 5, 2017

Committees and committee chairs

Committee chairs for the 2024-2026 Legislative Session are:

  • Budget and Appropriations - Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge)
  • Commerce - Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon)
  • Community and Urban Affairs - Troy Singleton (D-Palmyra)
  • Economic Growth - Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Barrington)
  • Education - Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch)
  • Environment and Energy - Bob Smith (D-Piscataway)
  • Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens - Joe F. Vitale (D-Woodbridge Township)
  • Higher Education - TBD
  • Judiciary - Brian P. Stack (D-Union City)
  • Labor - TBD
  • Law and Public Safety - Linda R. Greenstein (D-Plainsboro)
  • Legislative Oversight - TBD
  • Military and Veterans' Affairs - Joseph Cryan (D-Union Township)
  • Rules and Order - TBD
  • State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation - James Beach (D-Voorhees Township)
  • Transportation - Patrick J. Diegnan (D-South Plainfield)

List of Senate presidents

The following is a list of presidents of the New Jersey Senate since the adoption of the 1844 State Constitution:

Double dipping

Under a state law that remained in effect until 2008, members of the New Jersey Assembly and Senate were allowed to serve in either chamber, as well as any other government positions they might have held at the time, although those who were still doing so as of 2008 ended up getting "grandfathered":

Name, Party-County – Second Public Office (names in bold represent state Senators still in both local and state offices as of 2023):

Senators:

Special powers

Senatorial courtesy

The New Jersey Senate in session in 2013

Senatorial courtesy is a senate tradition that allows home county legislators to intercede to prevent consideration of a local resident nominated by the governor for a position that requires Senate confirmation. Any of the senators from the nominee's home county can invoke senatorial courtesy to block a nomination, temporarily or permanently, without any obligation to justify the basis of their actions.

Governor Corzine nominated Stuart Rabner on June 4, 2007, to be the next Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, replacing James R. Zazzali, who was nearing mandatory retirement age. Shortly after the nomination, two members of the Senate from Essex County, where Rabner resides, blocked consideration of his confirmation by invoking senatorial courtesy. State Senator Ronald Rice had initially blocked the nomination, but relented on June 15, 2007, after a meeting with the governor. Nia Gill dropped her block on June 19, 2007, but did not explain the nature of her concerns, though anonymous lawmakers cited in The New York Times indicated that the objection was due to Rabner's race and Governor Corzine's failure to consider a minority candidate for the post. Also in June 2007, Loretta Weinberg used senatorial courtesy privileges to hold up consideration of a new term in office for Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli.

Acting governor

Until 2010, in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy, the New Jersey Constitution had specified that the President of the Senate (followed by the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly) would assume the role of Acting Governor and retain their role in the Senate (or Assembly). An Acting Governor would then assume the governorship while retaining their role in their house of the legislature.

The lieutenant governor of New Jersey took office for the first time on January 19, 2010, following an election with the governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed on November 8, 2005. While the amendment itself took effect as of January 17, 2006, and made some interim changes to the succession to the governorship, the first lieutenant governor was not elected until November 3, 2009.

40°13′07″N 74°45′51″W / 40.21869°N 74.76429°W / 40.21869; -74.76429


This page was last updated at 2023-12-27 14:18 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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