New Jersey's 7th congressional district

Coordinates: 40°36′N 74°30′W / 40.60°N 74.50°W / 40.60; -74.50
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

New Jersey's 7th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
  Thomas Kean Jr.
RWestfield
Area595.03 sq mi (1,541.1 km2)
Distribution
  • 85.81% urban
  • 14.19% rural
Population (2022)775,400
Median household
income
$131,419[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+1[2]

New Jersey's 7th congressional district includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties; and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties. The district is represented by Republican Thomas Kean Jr., who was first elected in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski.

The district, which has become more ethnically diverse over time, is one of the most affluent congressional districts in the United States,[3] with the fifth-highest median income in the nation.[4]

Counties and municipalities in the district

The district from 2003 to 2013

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of six counties and 93 municipalities.[5]

Hunterdon County (24):

All 24 municipalities

Morris County (12):

Somerset County (13):

Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Branchburg, Bridgewater Township (part; also 12th), Far Hills, Green Brook Township, Hillsborough Township (part; also 12th), Peapack-Gladstone, Raritan, Somerville, Warren Township, Watchung

Sussex County (10):

Walpack

Union County (12):

Berkeley Heights, Clark, Fanwood, Linden (part; also 10th), Mountainside, New Providence, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Westfield, Winfield Township

Warren County (22):

All 22 municipalities

History

In the 2012 general election, Republican incumbent Leonard Lance held his seat against Democratic challenger Upendra J. Chivukula.[6] In the 2010 general election, Democratic challenger Ed Potosnak challenged Lance, but Lance defeated Potosnak by a margin of 59% to 41%. For the 2012 election, both Potosnak and former Edison Mayor Jun Choi announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination.[7][8] Choi dropped out of the race in December 2011 after redistricting left his Edison home outside the 7th District. Potosnak dropped out of the race in January 2012 to take a position as executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, leaving a momentarily empty field for the Democratic nomination.[9]

Effect of 2000 redistricting

New Jersey's 7th district and the 12th district were redistricted after the 2000 census by a bipartisan panel. By consensus of the panel, the Democratic and Republican parties agreed to trade areas in the two districts to make them safer for their respective incumbents. It is likely that this tradeoff, which made New Jersey's 7th less competitive for Democrats, had an effect on the outcome of 2006 election, which was decided by approximately 3,000 votes. Areas of the former 7th district such as Franklin Township that had historically voted reliably Democratic were moved into the adjacent 12th district in order to shore up Democratic incumbent Rush Holt, while reliably Republican Millburn was removed from the 7th, and instead split between the 10th and 11th districts. Additionally, heavily Democratic Plainfield was moved from the 7th to the already Democratic-leaning 6th district. Despite the redistricting, NJ-07 was still the most competitive House district in New Jersey, and was the only one considered to be in play in 2006 by political pundits.

In 2008,

general election, Lance defeated Assemblywoman Linda Stender by a margin of 25,833 votes.[10]

2018 election

In the Democratic primary Malinowski prevailed with 26,059 votes and 66.8% of the vote. Jacob finished second with 7,467 votes and 19.1% of the vote.[11]

Lance won the Republican primary with 74.9%, and 24,856 votes.[11][12]

In the 2018 election, Tom Malinowski,[13] former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, was considered the front runner among the Democrats challenging Republican incumbent Leonard Lance.[14][15] Malinowski was endorsed by Westfield teacher/attorney Lisa Mandelblatt and attorney Scott Salmon when they withdrew from the race in February 2018.[16][17] Other candidates in the Democratic primary included lawyer Goutam Jois;[18] and social worker Peter Jacob, who was defeated by Lance in the 2016 election. Green Party of New Jersey member Diane Moxley also announced her intent to run for the seat.[19] Lindsay Brown, a product manager at the New York Post and a self-described progressive, ran in the Republican primary against Lance.[20] Berkeley Heights banking executive Linda Weber[21] and environmental advocate David Pringle[22] withdrew in March 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Malinowski campaign raised $528,000 while the incumbent Lance raised $237,000. Jois raised $189,000 and Jacob raised $29,000.[15][23]

Malinowski won the seat in the election with 51.7% of the votes.

2020 election

Incumbent Tom Malinowski (D) ran in the Democratic party primary uncontested, winning 100% (80,334) of the vote. Challenger Thomas Kean Jr. (R) defeated Raafat Barsoom and Tom Phillips in the Republican party primary receiving 79.4% (45,395) of the vote.[24]

Incumbent Tom Malinowski (D) defeated challenger Thomas Kean Jr. (R) in the general election by 1.2 percentage points for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District on November 3, 2020. The race was expected to be competitive, with New Jersey's 7th being one of 40 seats gained by Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.

2022 redistricting and election

The New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission altered the boundaries of the district effective January 6, 2022. [2] Although the district remains competitive, the district is more Republican than it was previously.

Incumbent Tom Malinowski (D) faced 2020 challenger Thomas Kean Jr. once again in 2022. In the general election held on November 8, 2022, Kean prevailed, unseating Malinowski.[25] It was one of 18 districts that would have voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Republican in 2022.

Recent statewide election results

Results under current lines (since 2023)
Year Office Result
2016 President Trump 50.8% – 45.2%
2017 Governor Guadagno 54.3% – 43.3%
2018 Senator Hugin 53.2% – 43.4%
2020 President Biden 51.0% – 47.4%
2020 Senator Booker 49.2% – 49.0%
2021 Governor Ciattarelli 55.8% – 43.4%
Results under old lines

Recent election results

2004 New Jersey 7th District general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican
Mike Ferguson
(incumbent)
162,597 56.9% −1.1
Democratic Steve Brozak 119,081 41.7% +.8
Independent
Thomas Abrams 2,153 .8% N/A
Independent
Matthew Williams 2,046 .7% N/A
Majority 43,516 15.2%
Turnout 285,877
Republican hold Swing +1.0%
2006 New Jersey 7th District general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican
Mike Ferguson
(incumbent)
98,399 49.4% −7.5
Democratic Linda Stender 95,454 48.0% +6.3
Independent
Thomas Abrams 3,176 1.6% +.8%
Libertarian Darren Young 2,046 1.0% N/A
Majority 2,945 1.5% −13.7
Turnout 199,075
Republican hold Swing +6.9%
2008 New Jersey 7th District general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leonard Lance 142,092 50.8% +1.4
Democratic Linda Stender 116,255 41.6% −6.4
Independent
Michael Hsing 15,826 5.7% N/A
Independent
Dean Greco 3,008 1.1% N/A
Independent
Thomas Abrams 2,408 .9% −0.7
Majority 25,837 9.2% +7.7
Turnout 279,589
Republican hold Swing −3.9%
2010 New Jersey 7th District general election[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leonard Lance (incumbent) 104,642 59.4%
Democratic Ed Potosnak 71,486 40.6%
Majority 33,156 18.9%
Turnout 176,128
Republican hold Swing
2012 New Jersey 7th District general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leonard Lance (incumbent) 175,662 57.2%
Democratic
Upendra Chivukula
123,057 40.0%
Independent
Dennis Breen 4,518 1.5%
Libertarian Patrick McKnight 4,078 1.3%
Majority 52,605 17.1%
Turnout 307,315
Republican hold Swing
2014 New Jersey 7th District general election [27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leonard Lance (incumbent) 104,287 59.25%
Democratic Janice Kovach 68,232 38.77%
Libertarian Jim Gawron 3,478 1.98%
Majority 36,055 20.5%
Turnout 175,997
Republican hold Swing
2016 New Jersey 7th District general election [28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leonard Lance (incumbent) 185,850 54.08%
Democratic Peter Jacob 148,188 43.12%
Libertarian Dan O'Neill 5,343 1.56%
Conservative Arthur T. Haussmann, Jr. 4,254 1.24%
Majority 37,662 10.96%
Turnout 343,635
Republican hold Swing
2018 New Jersey 7th District general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Malinowski 166,985 51.7
Republican Leonard Lance (incumbent) 150,785 46.7
Green
Diane Moxley 2,676 0.8
Independent
Gregg Mele 2,296 0.7
Total votes 322,742 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
2020 New Jersey 7th District general election[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Malinowski (incumbent) 219,688 50.6
Republican
Tom Kean Jr.
214,359 49.4
Total votes 434,047 100.0
Democratic hold
2022 New Jersey 7th District general election[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican
Tom Kean Jr.
159,392 51.4
Democratic Tom Malinowski (incumbent) 150,701 48.6
Total votes 310,093 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

List of members representing the district

Member
(Residence)
Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history Counties/towns
District established March 4, 1873

Isaac W. Scudder
(Jersey City)
Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
43rd
Elected in 1872
.
Retired.
1873–1893:
Hudson County
Augustus Albert Hardenbergh
(Jersey City
)
Democratic March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1879
44th
45th
Re-elected in 1876
.
Retired.
Lewis A. Brigham
(Jersey City)
Republican March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881
46th
Elected in 1878
.
Lost re-election.
Augustus Albert Hardenbergh
(Jersey City
)
Democratic March 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1883
47th
Elected in 1880
.
Retired.
William McAdoo
(Jersey City
)
Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1891
48th
49th
50th
51st
Re-elected in 1888
.
Lost renomination.

Edward F. McDonald
(Harrison)
Democratic March 4, 1891 –
November 5, 1892
52nd
Elected in 1890
.
Died.
Vacant November 5, 1892 –
March 3, 1893
George Bragg Fielder
(Jersey City
)
Democratic March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1895
53rd
Elected in 1892
.
Retired.
1893–1895:
Harrison, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Kearney (including present-day East Newark)

Thomas McEwan Jr.
(Jersey City)
Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1899
54th
55th
Re-elected in 1896
.
Retired.
1895–1903:
Hudson County (except Bayonne)
William Davis Daly
(Hoboken
)
Democratic March 4, 1899 –
July 31, 1900
56th
Elected in 1898
.
Died.
Vacant July 31, 1900 –
December 3, 1900
Allan Langdon McDermott
(Jersey City
)
Democratic December 3, 1900 –
March 3, 1903
56th
57th
Also elected to the next full term.
Redistricted to the 10th district
.

Richard W. Parker
(Newark)
Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1911
58th
59th
60th
61st
Redistricted from the
Re-elected in 1908
.
Lost re-election.
1903–1913:
Northern Essex County (excluding Irvington, Maplewood, Millburn, South Orange, and parts of Newark)

Edward W. Townsend
(Montclair)
Democratic March 4, 1911 –
March 3, 1913
62nd
Elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the 10th district
.

Robert G. Bremner
(Passaic)
Democratic March 4, 1913 –
February 5, 1914
63rd
Elected in 1912
.
Died.
1913–1933:
Southern Passaic County (Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Haledon, Passaic, Paterson, Prospect Park, Totowa, Wayne, and West Paterson)
Vacant February 5, 1914 –
April 7, 1914

Dow H. Drukker
(Passaic)
Republican April 7, 1914 –
March 3, 1919
63rd
64th
65th
Re-elected in 1916
.
Retired.

Amos H. Radcliffe
(Paterson)
Republican March 4, 1919 –
March 3, 1923
66th
67th
Re-elected in 1920
.
Lost renomination.

George N. Seger
(Passaic)
Republican March 4, 1923 –
March 3, 1933
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
Re-elected in 1930.
Redistricted to the 8th district
.

Randolph Perkins
(Woodcliff Lake)
Republican March 4, 1933 –
May 25, 1936
73rd
74th
Redistricted from the
Re-elected in 1934
.
Died.
1933–1967:
Huntderon, Sussex, Warren, parts of Bergen and northern Passaic (Ringwood and West Miford)
Vacant May 25, 1936 –
January 3, 1937
74th

J. Parnell Thomas
(Allendale)
Republican January 3, 1937 –
January 2, 1950
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
Re-elected in 1948
.
Resigned upon being convicted of fraud.
Vacant January 2, 1950 –
February 6, 1950
81st

William B. Widnall
(Saddle River)
Republican February 6, 1950 –
December 31, 1974
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
Re-elected in 1972
.
Lost re-election and resigned early.
1967–1983:
Western Bergen County

Andrew Maguire
(Ridgewood)
Democratic January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1981
94th
95th
96th
Re-elected in 1978
.
Lost re-election.

Marge Roukema
(Ridgewood)
Republican January 3, 1981 –
January 3, 1983
97th
Elected in 1980.
Redistricted to the 5th district
.
Matthew John Rinaldo
(Union Township
)
Republican January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1993
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
Redistricted from the
Re-elected in 1990
.
Retired.
1983–1985:
Parts of Mercer (Princeton and Princeton Borough), Middlesex (Cranbury, Jamesburg, Monroe, North Brunswick, South Brunswick), Monmouth (Freehold, Freehold Borough, Marlboro, and Millstone), eastern Somerset, and Union
1985–1993:
Parts of Essex (Millburn), Middlesex (Dunellen and Middlesex Borough), Somerset, and Union

Bob Franks
(New Providence)
Republican January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2001
103rd
104th
105th
106th
Re-elected in 1998.
Retired to run for U.S. senator
.
1993–2003:
Parts of Essex, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union
Mike Ferguson
(Warren Township
)
Republican January 3, 2001 –
January 3, 2009
107th
108th
109th
110th
.
Retired.
2003–2013:

Parts of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union

Leonard Lance
(Clinton Township)
Republican January 3, 2009 –
January 3, 2019
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th
Elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Lost re-election.
2013–2023:

Hunterdon and parts of Essex (Millburn), Morris, Somerset, Union and Warren

Tom Malinowski
(Rocky Hill)[32][30]
Democratic January 3, 2019 –
January 3, 2023
116th
117th
Elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Lost re-election.

Thomas Kean Jr.
(Westfield)
Republican January 3, 2023 –
present
118th Elected in 2022. 2023–present:

Warren, Hunterdon, and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union

References

  1. ^ Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List".
  3. ^ "After the Midterms, One Party Controls All the Wealthiest Congressional Districts". finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "This Party Represents the Wealthiest US Congressional Districts, Study Finds". July 9, 2018. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  5. ^ [1], New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2021. Accessed November 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Salvador Rizzo, The Star-Ledger. "N.J. 7th Congressional District winner: Leonard Lance". NJ.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "Potosnak files 2012 bid for US Congress in NJ's 7th Congressional District". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  8. ^ Max Pizarro (May 5, 2011). "Choi announces 7th District Congressional candidacy | Observer". Politickernj.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  9. ^ Max Pizarro (January 16, 2012). "Potosnak ends CD 7 run to take job as ED of League of Conservation Voters | Observer". Politickernj.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  10. ^ "Local and National Election Results - Election Center 2008 - Elections & Politics from CNN.com". CNN. Archived from the original on November 7, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  11. ^ a b New York Times, Primary results, accessed, June 6, 2018 Archived June 7, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah. "New Jersey Primary Election Results". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  13. ^ The Hill, Ben Kamisar, October 2, 2017, Obama State Department official to run for House in NJ Archived December 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved October 2, 2017
  14. ^ "CD7 Flashpoint: Malinowski Beats Weber in Union". Insider NJ. March 11, 2018. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Ballotpedia, New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2018 Archived December 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved May 7, 2018
  16. ^ Salant, Jonathan D. (February 8, 2018). "Democrat drops run against Republican Leonard Lance". nj. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  17. ^ "Democrats are now lining up behind this candidate to take on Republican Leonard Lance". NJ.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  18. ^ "Goutam Jois for Congress NJ-07". Archived from the original on March 17, 2018.
  19. ^ Moxley For US Archived December 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (website)
  20. ^ ABC News, March 29, 2018, House races offer Democrats best shot at claiming a chamber in Congress Archived December 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved May 17, 2018
  21. ^ Jonathan D. Salant, May 14, 2017, NJ.com, Meet the newest challenger to N.J.'s Leonard Lance, Retrieved May 14, 2017
  22. ^ "Pringle Exits the CD7 Contest - Insider NJ". March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  23. ^ Politico "House Q4 FEC Reports," Archived December 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved May 7, 2018
  24. ^ "New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  25. ^ "Kean unseats Malinowski in 7th congressional district". November 9, 2022.
  26. ^ "Candidates for House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Division of Elections. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  27. ^ "Official results" (PDF). www.state.nj.us. 2014.
  28. ^ "Candidates for House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Division of Elections. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  29. ^ "New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2016". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on December 29, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Official List, Candidates for House of Representatives For GENERAL ELECTION 11/03/2020 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. October 14, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  31. ^ "2022 Official General Election Results: U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  32. ^ Tom Malinowski, Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Accessed October 9, 2022. "Hometown: Rocky Hill"

Bibliography

40°36′N 74°30′W / 40.60°N 74.50°W / 40.60; -74.50