New Jersey State Senate

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New Jersey State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   January 9, 2024
Session end:   December 31, 2024
Term length:   2-4-4 year system
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:   $49,000/year
Members
Total:  40
Democrats:  25
Republicans:  15
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:   Nicholas Scutari (D)
Maj. Leader:   Teresa Ruiz (New Jersey) (D)
Min. Leader:   Anthony M. Bucco (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 7, 2023
Next election:  November 2, 2027

The New Jersey State Senate is the upper chamber of the New Jersey State Legislature. Alongside the New Jersey General Assembly, it forms the legislative branch of the New Jersey state government and works alongside the governor of New Jersey to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the New Jersey State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The New Jersey State Senate meets in the State House in Trenton, New Jersey.

  • All 40 seats in the New Jersey State Senate were up for election in 2023.
  • All 40 seats in the New Jersey State Senate were up for election in 2021. Democrats lost a net of one seat, reducing their majority from 25-14 (with one vacancy) to 24-16. Click to read more »
  • New Jersey has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the New Jersey State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the New Jersey State Senate as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 25
         Republican Party 15
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 40

    Members

    Leadership

    At the organizational meeting, the Senate elects a president, president pro tempore, and secretary, with each requiring 21 or more votes for approval. The Senate then appoints by resolution the other officers.[1][2]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    New Jersey State Senate District 1 Mike Testa Jr. Republican December 5, 2019
    New Jersey State Senate District 2 Vincent Polistina Republican January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 3 Edward R. Durr Republican January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 4 Fred Madden Democratic 2004
    New Jersey State Senate District 5 Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democratic 2014
    New Jersey State Senate District 6 James Beach Democratic 2009
    New Jersey State Senate District 7 Troy Singleton Democratic 2018
    New Jersey State Senate District 8 Jean Stanfield Republican January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 9 Christopher Connors Republican 2008
    New Jersey State Senate District 10 James Holzapfel Republican 2012
    New Jersey State Senate District 11 Vin Gopal Democratic 2018
    New Jersey State Senate District 12 Samuel Thompson Democratic 2012
    New Jersey State Senate District 13 Declan O'Scanlon Jr. Republican 2018
    New Jersey State Senate District 14 Linda Greenstein Democratic 2011
    New Jersey State Senate District 15 Shirley Turner Democratic 1998
    New Jersey State Senate District 16 Andrew Zwicker Democratic January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 17 Bob Smith Democratic 2002
    New Jersey State Senate District 18 Patrick Diegnan Jr. Democratic 2017
    New Jersey State Senate District 19 Joseph Vitale Democratic 1998
    New Jersey State Senate District 20 Joseph Cryan Democratic 2018
    New Jersey State Senate District 21 Jon Bramnick Republican January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 22 Nicholas Scutari Democratic 2004
    New Jersey State Senate District 23 Doug Steinhardt Republican December 19, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 24 Steven Oroho Republican 2008
    New Jersey State Senate District 25 Anthony M. Bucco Republican October 24, 2019
    New Jersey State Senate District 26 Joseph Pennacchio Republican 2008
    New Jersey State Senate District 27 Richard Codey Democratic 1982
    New Jersey State Senate District 28 Renee Burgess Democratic September 29, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 29 Teresa Ruiz Democratic 2008
    New Jersey State Senate District 30 Robert Singer Republican 1994
    New Jersey State Senate District 31 Sandra Cunningham Democratic 2007
    New Jersey State Senate District 32 Nicholas Sacco Democratic 1994
    New Jersey State Senate District 33 Brian Stack Democratic 2008
    New Jersey State Senate District 34 Nia Gill Democratic 2002
    New Jersey State Senate District 35 Nellie Pou Democratic 2012
    New Jersey State Senate District 36 Paul Sarlo Democratic 2003
    New Jersey State Senate District 37 Gordon Johnson Democratic January 11, 2022
    New Jersey State Senate District 38 Joseph Lagana Democratic April 15, 2018
    New Jersey State Senate District 39 Holly Schepisi Republican March 25, 2021
    New Jersey State Senate District 40 Kristin Corrado Republican 2017


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $49,000/yearNo per diem is paid.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    New Jersey legislators assume office at noon on the second Tuesday in January following the election.[3]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    In order to qualify as a candidate for the New Jersey State Senate, a candidate must:[4]

    • Be a citizen of the United States
    • Be 30 years of age or older
    • Be a registered voter
    • Reside in the state for a minimum of four years prior to the general election
    • Reside in the legislative district for one year prior to the general election

    Historical party control

    Democrats won control of the New Jersey State Senate in 2003. In 2021, they won a 24-16 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the New Jersey Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2021. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    New Jersey State Senate election results: 1991-2021

    Party 91 93 97 01 03 07 11 13 17 21
    Democrats 13 16 16 20 22 23 24 24 25 24
    Republicans 27 24 24 20 18 17 16 16 15 16

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023 New Jersey was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 2004-2009, 2018-2023
    • Republican trifecta: 1994-2001
    • Divided government: 1992-1993, 2002-2003, 2010-2017

    New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2024
    Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Eight years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R S S D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Assembly R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    New Jersey's state senators are not subject to term limits. They serve four-year terms, except in the first term of a new decade, which only lasts for two years. New Jersey holds elections for its legislature in odd years.

    Four states, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia hold their state legislative elections in odd-numbered years. New Jersey began holding elections in odd-numbered years when the state adopted a new constitution in 1947. Prior to the new constitution, members of the Assembly were elected to one-year terms, members of the Senate to three-year terms and governors to three-year terms. The new constitution changed the term structure to include two years for representatives and four-year terms for senators and governors. Because the constitution was adopted in an odd-numbered year, elections were also held in odd-numbered years and have continued in such a manner to this day.[5]

    2023

    See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2023

    Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2023. The general election was on November 7, 2023. A primary was June 6, 2023. The filing deadline was March 27, 2023.

    2021

    See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2021

    Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2021. The primary was on June 8, 2021, and the general election was on November 2. The filing deadline for candidates was April 5, 2021.[6]

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 25-14 majority with one vacancy. Democrats lost one seat in the election and decreased their majority to 24-16.

    New Jersey State Senate
    Party As of November 2, 2021 After November 3, 2021
         Democratic Party 25 24
         Republican Party 14 16
         Vacancies 1 0
    Total 40 40

    2017

    See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017

    Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2017. All 40 seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[7][8]

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 24-16 majority. Democrats gained one seat in the election and increased their majority to 25-15.

    New Jersey State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2017 After November 7, 2017
         Democratic Party 24 25
         Republican Party 16 15
    Total 40 40

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the New Jersey State Legislature, the vacancy will be filled by an interim appointment by the county leadership of the political party that holds the seat. The office will be on the ballot in the next general election, unless the vacancy occurs within 51 days of the election. If that is the case, the appointment would stand until the following general election.[13][14]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: New Jersey Const., Art. IV, Sec. IV(1)

    District map

    See also: New Jersey state legislative districts

    The state of New Jersey has 40 legislative districts. Senators are elected from the same legislative districts as are members of the New Jersey General Assembly. Each district elects two assembly members but only one senator.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in New Jersey

    In New Jersey, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by two distinct politician commissions. The congressional redistricting commission comprises the following 13 members:[15]

    1. The majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the New Jersey State Legislature appoint two commissioners a piece (for a total of eight members).
    2. The chairs of the state's two major political parties each appoint two members to the commission (for a total of four members). Commissioners appointed by the political parties cannot be members of Congress or congressional employees.
    3. The first 12 commissioners appoint the last member. This member cannot have held public office in the state within the previous five-year period. If the first 12 commissioners cannot agree on an appointment, they must submit two names to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The court must then appoint the final commissioner.

    If the congressional redistricting commission fails to reach an agreement about a redistricting plan, it must submit two plans to the state Supreme Court, which must in turn select from those two plans a final map.[15]

    The state legislative redistricting commission comprises 10 members. The chairs of the state's two major political parties each appoint five members to the commission. In the event that this commission is unable to reach an agreement about a redistricting plan, the state Supreme Court may appoint a tie-breaking member.[15]

    State law requires that state legislative districts meet the following criteria:[15]

    1. Districts must be contiguous.
    2. Districts "must be as nearly compact as possible."
    3. Municipalities "must be kept intact, except where otherwise required by law."

    There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[15]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in New Jersey after the 2020 census

    On February 18, 2022, the New Jersey Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted to approve a new set of state legislative maps.[16] The commission voted 9-2 to approve the maps. Thomas Kean Jr. (R) and Cosmo A. Cirillo (D) were the two dissenting votes.[17] The New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov wrote that the vote was "an unprecedented compromise for a commission that has historically relied on a court-appointed tiebreaker to end partisan gridlock."[16] These maps took effect for New Jersey's 2023 legislative elections.

    District map after 2020 redistricting

    Click here to view the enacted map. This map took effect for New Jersey's 2023 legislative elections.

    2010

    See also: Redistricting in New Jersey after the 2010 census

    New Jersey received its local census data on February 3, 2011, the state's population grew five percent from 2000 to 2010.[18][19]

    The Redistricting Commission had 60 days to decide on a map after receiving its local census data. With the commission unable to agree on a map within 30 days, Rutgers law professor Alan Rosenthal was appointed as the nonpartisan 11th member of the commission as required by state law When a compromise could not be reached, he cast the tie-breaking vote to approve a new map on April 3, 2011.[20]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the New Jersey State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in New Jersey by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 New Jersey legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 9, 2024, and adjourn on December 31, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 New Jersey legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2023, and adjourn on January 8, 2024.



    About legislative sessions in New Jersey

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[29] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the New Jersey Constitution establishes when the New Jersey State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 1 of Article IV states that each annual session is to begin on the second Tuesday of January. The session does not end until the beginning of the next annual session or until the Legislature chooses to adjourn.

    Section 1 also allows for special sessions of the Legislature to be called by the Governor of New Jersey or by a majority of the members of each legislative house.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in New Jersey are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 54 of the 80 members in the New Jersey General Assembly and 27 of the 40 members in the New Jersey State Senate. New Jersey is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    According to Article V, Section 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, vetoes issued during the first year of the legislative session can be overridden in a special veto session that automatically occurs 45 days following adjournment.

    Authority: Article V, Section 1 of the New Jersey Constitution.

    "Upon receiving from the Governor a bill returned by him with his objections, the house in which it originated shall enter the objections at large in its journal or minutes and proceed to reconsider it. If, upon reconsideration, on or after the third day following its return, or the first day of a special session convened for the sole purpose of acting on such bills, two-thirds of all the members of the house of origin agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections of the Governor, to the other house; and if, upon reconsideration, it is approved by two-thirds of all the members of the house, it shall become a law."

    Role in state budget

    See also: New Jersey state budget and finances
    New Jersey on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[30]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in September.
    2. State agency requests are submitted in October.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the New Jersey State Legislature on or before the fourth Tuesday in February.[31]
    4. The legislature adopts a budget on or before June 30. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
    5. The fiscal year begins July 1.

    New Jersey is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[30]

    The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is also constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[30]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in New Jersey state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The New Jersey State Senate has 16 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the New Jersey Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article IX of the New Jersey Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in New Jersey

    The New Jersey Constitution provides for a legislative process to amend the state constitution.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    The New Jersey Constitution provides two legislative methods for referring a constitutional amendment to the ballot. First, the legislature can refer an amendment to the ballot through a 60% vote of both chambers during one legislative session. That amounts to a minimum of 48 votes in the New Jersey General Assembly and 24 votes in the New Jersey State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Second, the legislature can refer an amendment through a simple majority vote (50%+1) in each legislative chamber during two successive legislative sessions. That amounts to a minimum of 41 votes in the New Jersey General Assembly and 21 votes in the New Jersey State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.



    2025 measures:

    See also: 2025 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

    No measures to list

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: 2024 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

    Elections New Jersey State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    New Jersey State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. New Jersey Legislature, "Rules of the Senate, accessed July 7, 2014
    2. New Jersey Legislature, "New Jersey Senate leadership," accessed July 7, 2014
    3. New Jersey Constitution, "Article IV, Section II," accessed February 2, 2023
    4. NJ.gov, "PETITION FILING INSTRUCTION SHEET 2023 PRIMARY ELECTION NEW JERSEY STATE SENATE," accessed February 2, 2023
    5. The Thicket of State Legislatures, "Why do Four States Have Odd-Year Elections?" Aug. 25, 2011
    6. NJ.gov, "2021 Primary Election Timeline," accessed January 22, 2021
    7. New Jersey Secretary of State, "2017 Primary Election Timeline," accessed March 21, 2017
    8. New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List, Candidate for State Senate for Primary Election, June 6, 2017," accessed April 13, 2017
    9. Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2011 Campaign Contributions," accessed December 17, 2013
    10. Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2007 Candidates," accessed July 26, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2003 Candidates," accessed July 26, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2001 Candidates," accessed July 26, 2013
    13. New Jersey Legislature, "Our Legislature," accessed February 10, 2021
    14. New Jersey Legislature, "New Jersey Constitution," accessed February 10, 2021 (Article IV, Section 4, (1))
    15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 All About Redistricting, "New Jersey," accessed May 6, 2015
    16. 16.0 16.1 New Jersey Monitor, "Democrats, GOP agree on new legislative map for N.J.," February 18, 2022
    17. Insider NJ, "Redistricting Commission Finalizes Legislative Map by 9-2 Vote," February 18, 2022
    18. Star-Ledger, "New census data shows N.J.'s population grew most in southern counties, became more racially diverse," February 3, 2011
    19. Star Ledger, "With release of census data, N.J. Legislature has 60 days to come up with redistricting map," February 3, 2011
    20. NorthJersey.com, "What N.J.'s legislative redistricting means to you," April 19, 2011
    21. NY Times, "Standoff Ends in Budget Deal for New Jersey," July 3, 2017
    22. NBC New York, "Gov. Christie Orders New Jersey Government Shutdown Amid Budget Impasse," July 1, 2017
    23. 23.0 23.1 Politico, "Christie signs N.J. budget, ending 3-day government shutdown," July 3, 2017
    24. Law 360, "New Jersey Legislation And Regulation To Watch In 2015," accessed January 21, 2014
    25. www.nj.com, "New N.J. Legislature sworn in as Democrats focus on taxes, Hurricane Sandy," accessed January 15, 2014
    26. Wall Street Journal, "Sandy Sets New Agenda for Christie ," January 6, 2013
    27. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    28. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed July 7, 2014(Archived)
    29. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    31. The deadline may be extended for new governors with the agreement of the state legislature.