New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Senate
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 If the cycle were not put into place, then the boundaries would sometimes be four years out of date before being used for Senate elections. Rather, with the varied term, the boundaries are only two years out of date.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 2023, 2027, and 2031).
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.
"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:
Dana Redd, D-Camden – Councilwoman, Camden
Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson – Mayor, North Bergen
Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen – Mayor, Wood-Ridge
Robert Singer, R-Ocean – Committeeman, Lakewood
Brian Stack, D-Hudson – Mayor, Union City
Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester – Freeholder, Gloucester County
Senatorial courtesy
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.
Composition
List of state senators
Committees and committee chairs
Committee chairs for the 2018–2019 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 - Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D-Jersey City)
Judiciary - Brian P. Stack (D-Union City)
Labor - Fred H. Madden (D-Washington Township, Gloucester County)
Law and Public Safety - Linda R. Greenstein (D-Plainsboro Township)
Legislative Oversight - Richard J. Codey (D-Roseland)
Military and Veterans' Affairs - Joseph Cryan (D-Union Township)
Rules and Order - TBD
Select Committee on School Funding Fairness - 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:
1845–1848: John C. Smallwood, Gloucester
1849–1850: Ephraim March, Morris
1851: Silas D. Canfield, Passaic
1852: John Manners, Hunterdon
1853–1856: William C. Alexander, Mercer
1857–1858: Henry V. Speer, Middlesex
1859: Thomas H. Herring, Bergen
1860: Charles L. C. Gifford, Essex
1861: Edmund Perry, Hunterdon
1862: Joseph T. Crowell, Union
1863: Anthony Reckless, Monmouth
1864: Amos Robbins, Middlesex
1865: Edward W. Scudder, Mercer
1866: James M. Scovel, Camden
1867: Benjamin Buckley, Passaic
1868–1869: Henry S. Little, Monmouth
1870: Amos Robbins
1871–1872: Edward Bettle, Camden
1873–1875: John W. Taylor, Essex
1876: William J. Sewell, Camden
1877: Leon Abbett, Hudson
1878: George C. Ludlow, Middlesex
1879–1880: William J. Sewell
1881–1882: Garret Hobart, Passaic
1883: John J. Gardner, Atlantic
1884: Benjamin A. Vail, Union
1885: Abraham V. Schenck, Middlesex
1886: John W. Griggs, Passaic
1887: Frederick S. Fish, Essex
1888: George H. Large, Hunterdon
1889: George T. Werts, Morris
1890: Henry M. Nevius, Monmouth
1891–1893: Robert Adrain, Middlesex
1894: Maurice A. Rogers, Camden
1895: Edward C. Stokes, Cumberland
1896: Lewis A. Thompson, Somerset (resigned March 30)
1896–1897: Robert Williams, Passaic
1898: Foster M. Voorhees, Union (became Acting Governor February 1)
1898: William H. Skirm (pro tem), Mercer
1899: Charles A. Reed, Somerset
1900: William M. Johnson, Bergen
1901: Mahlon Pitney, Morris
1902: Charles Asa Francis, Monmouth
1903: Elijah C. Hutchinson, Mercer
1904: Edmund W. Wakelee, Bergen
1905: Joseph Cross, Union (resigned March 30)
1905–1906: William J. Bradley, Camden
1907: Bloomfield H. Minch, Cumberland
1908: Thomas J. Hillery, Morris
1909: Samuel K. Robbins, Burlington (resigned April 16)
1909–1910: Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, Somerset
1911: Ernest R. Ackerman, Union
1912: John Dyneley Prince, Passaic
1913: James F. Fielder, Hudson (became Acting Governor March 1)
1913: James A. C. Johnson (pro tem), Bergen
1914: John W. Slocum, Monmouth
1915: Walter E. Edge, Atlantic
1916: William T. Read, Camden (resigned March 29)
1916–1917: George W. F. Gaunt, Gloucester
1918: Thomas F. McCran, Passaic
1919: William N. Runyon, Union
1920: Clarence E. Case, Somerset
1921: Collins B. Allen, Salem
1922: William B. Mackay Jr., Bergen
1923: Joseph F. Wallworth, Camden
1924: Firman M. Reeves, Cumberland
1925: William H. Bright, Cape May
1926: Morgan F. Larson, Middlesex
1927: Francis B. Davis, Gloucester
1928: William A. Stevens, Monmouth
1929: Thomas A. Mathis, Ocean
1930: Arthur N. Pierson, Union
1931: Joseph G. Wolber, Essex
1932: A. Crozer Reeves, Mercer
1933: Emerson Lewis Richards, Atlantic
1934: Clifford R. Powell, Burlington
1935: Horace G. Prall, Hunterdon
1936: John C. Barbour, Passaic (resigned June 26)
1936–1937: Frank Durand, Monmouth
1938: Charles E. Loizeaux, Union
1939: Robert C. Hendrickson, Gloucester
1940: Arthur F. Foran, Hunterdon
1941–1942: I. Grant Scott, Cape May
1943: George H. Stanger, Cumberland
1944: Howard Eastwood, Burlington (resigned August 31)
1944: George H. Stanger
1945: Frank S. Farley, Atlantic
1946: Haydn Proctor, Monmouth
1947: Charles K. Barton, Passaic
1948: John M. Summerill Jr., Salem
1949: David Van Alstyne, Bergen
1950: Samuel L. Bodine, Hunterdon
1951: Alfred B. Littell, Sussex
1952: Harold W. Hannold, Gloucester
1953: David Young III, Morris
1954: W. Steelman Mathis, Ocean
1955: Bruce A. Wallace, Camden
1956: Wayne Dumont Jr., Warren
1957: Albert McCay, Burlington
1958: Richard R. Stout, Monmouth
1959: Wesley L. Lance, Hunterdon
1960: George B. Harper, Sussex
1961: Thomas J. Hillery, Morris
1962: Robert C. Crane, Union (resigned January 9)
1962: Frank S. Farley
1963: William E. Ozzard, Somerset
1964–1965: Charles W. Sandman, Cape May
1966: John A. Lynch Sr., 7th District
1967: Sido L. Ridolfi, 6th District
1968: Edwin B. Forsythe, 4B District
1969: Frank X. McDermott, 9th District
1970–1972: Raymond Bateman, 8th District
1973: Alfred N. Beadleston, 5th District
1974–1975: Frank J. Dodd, 26th District
1976–1977: Matthew Feldman, 37th District
1978–1981: Joseph P. Merlino, 13th District
1982–1986: Carmen A. Orechio, 30th District
1986–1990: John F. Russo, 10th District
1990–1991: John A. Lynch Jr., 17th District
1992–2002: Donald DiFrancesco, 22nd District
2002–2004: John O. Bennett, 12th District and Richard Codey, 27th District (co-presidents, with the Senate split 20-20)
2004–2008: Richard Codey, 27th District (resigned January 7, 2008)
2008: Bernard Kenny, 33rd District (served January 7 to January 8, after Codey resigned to honor Kenny)
2008–2010: Richard Codey, 27th District
2010–2022: Stephen Sweeney, 3rd District; he was the longest-serving Senate President.
2022–present Nicholas Scutari, 22nd District
Past composition
References
External links
New Jersey Legislature Homepage
New Jersey Senate Bill Search
New Jersey section of Project Vote Smart, a national database of voting records and other information about legislators.
Senate Democratic Office
Senate Republican Office
New Jersey Legislature
State upper houses in the United States