New Jersey's 25th legislative district

New Jersey's 25th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature. The district includes the Morris County municipalities of Boonton Township, Butler, Dover Town, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Mine Hill Township, Morris Township, Morristown, Mount Arlington, Randolph Township, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens, and Wharton; and the Passaic County municipality of West Milford.Districts by Number, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 11, 2014.Municipalities (sorted by 2011 legislative district) , New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 11, 2014.

Demographic characteristics As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 221,043, of whom 174,207 (78.8%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 151,305 (68.5%) White, 8,170 (3.7%) African American, 1,187 (0.5%) Native American, 14,367 (6.5%) Asian, 50 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 21,482 (9.7%) from some other race, and 24,482 (11.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47,305 (21.4%) of the population.

The district had high levels of income on average, but the communities of Dover, Mine Hill, Victory Gardens are well below the state average. The district had a high percentage of Hispanic residents, with Dover having some 60% of its residents as being of Hispanic origin.

Although traditionally thought of as a Republican stronghold, the demographics of the district have trended more Democratic in recent years. At the time of the 2011 legislative apportionment, Republicans held a 16,737 vote (12.0%) registration advantage. By 2019, that advantage was down to 7,801 votes (4.9%).Statewide Voter Registration Summary, New Jersey Department of State, August 31, 2019. Accessed September 8, 2019. The 25th district had 188,046 registered voters as of February 1, 2025, of whom 65,183 (34.7%) were registered as unaffiliated, 62,624 (33.3%) were registered as Republicans, 58,332 (31.0%) were registered as Democrats, and 1,907 (1.0%) were registered to other parties.Statewide Voter Registration Summary, New Jersey Department of State, February 1, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2025.

Political representation

The district is split between New Jersey's 5th, New Jersey's 7th, and New Jersey's 11th congressional districts.

Apportionment history The first iteration of the 25th district came in 1973 upon the creation of the statewide 40-district legislative map. The 25th at that time traveled from Maplewood along the western border of Essex County to Fairfield Township (also including North Caldwell, Passaic County's Wayne Township, and Lincoln Park and Pequannock Township in Morris County. In the next redistricting in 1981, the district became based through the center of Morris County running from Harding Township through Morristown, Dover, Boonton, and Jefferson Township. The shape of the district remained mostly the same in the 1991 redistricting picking up Mendham Township, Mount Arlington, and Roxbury Township, but losing Madison and Mountain Lakes.

Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative apportionment in 2001, based on the results of the 2000 United States census added Mountain Lakes Borough (from the 26th legislative district) and removed Hanover Township (to the 26th legislative district) and Harding Township (to the 21st legislative district).Legislative Districts, New Jersey Legislature, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 6, 1998. Accessed September 7, 2010. As a consequence of the New Jersey Legislative apportionment in 2011, Jefferson Township and Rockaway Township were moved to the 26th district. The 25th district was shifted south and west, adding Morris County GOP strongholds Mendham Borough (from the 16th district), Chester Borough, Chester Township and Washington Township (from the 24th district); and Bernardsville in Somerset County (from the 16th district).

William E. Bishop was elected in a special election held on April 20, 1982, to fill the vacancy left by James J. Barry Jr., who had been named as Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs by Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean.Staff. "FOR THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE, 15 NEW FACES", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 10, 1983. Accessed September 7, 2010. "Bishop filled the vacancy of Assemblyman James J. Barry Jr., who left the Assembly to become director of consumer affairs in the Kean administration." Bishop was defeated by Morris County Freeholder Rodney Frelinghuysen and incumbent Arthur R. Albohn in the 1983 Republican primary for the full term.

In the 1993 general election, former Assemblymember Gordon MacInnes defeated Republican incumbent John H. Dorsey by nearly 300 votes, making him the first Democrat in 18 years to win a legislative seat in Morris County.

After Frelinghuysen took office in the United States House of Representatives in January 1995, Anthony R. Bucco was chosen by Morris County Republican county committee members to fill Frelinghuysen's vacant seat in the Assembly. Bucco and Michael Patrick Carroll won the six-way June 1995 Republican primary to fill the district's two Assembly ballot spots, which became open when Albohn decided against running for re-election for a ninth term of office. In this primary, the two winners defeated then Morris County Freeholder Chris Christie and future Assemblyman Rick Merkt. In 1997, Anthony R. Bucco left the Assembly to successfully contest the Democratic-held Senate seat, with Merkt taking the Assembly seat vacated by Bucco.via Associated Press. "", The Press of Atlantic City, January 12, 1998. Accessed September 7, 2010. "Republican Rick Merkt won the Morris County seat left vacant by Bucco, and Republican Peter J. Biondi takes Kavanaugh's seat in Somerset County."

With Merkt running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2009, the 25th district saw a contested Republican primary with incumbent Michael Patrick Carroll facing Anthony M. Bucco and the younger Bucco's brother-in-law Douglas Cabana, a member of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Bucco and Carroll won the two ballot spots and were elected in the general election.Melisurgo, Len. "Family feud in 25th District Assembly race in Morris County", The Star-Ledger, May 24, 2009. Accessed September 7, 2010.

In 2011, Michael Patrick Carroll and Tony Bucco retained their seats in the Assembly, defeating Democratic challengers Gale Heiss-Colucci and George Stafford, while Anthony R. Bucco retained his Senate seat over challenger Rick Thoeni.Staff. "Somerset Hills voters support Republicans", The Bernardsville News, November 8, 2011. Accessed November 30, 2011. In 2013, with no Democratic challengers and only token opposition, all three incumbents sailed to victory, earning over 80% of the vote.

In 2017, in the closest race since the district was created in 1973, Anthony Bucco narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Lisa Bhimani by just over 2500 votes to retain his Senate seat. In the Assembly race, Carroll and the younger Bucco defeated Democratic challengers Thomas Moran and Richard Corcoran by a similar margin. In 2018, Carroll announced he would not seek re-election in 2019, choosing instead to run for Morris County surrogate. On June 4, 2019, in the first contested Assembly primary in the district since 2009, Tony Bucco and Brian Bergen defeated Aura K. Dunn and John Barbarula to win the Republican nomination for General Assembly.

Senator Anthony R. Bucco died in September 2019. A special convention of the Republican County Committee members from the district met on October 15, 2019, and unanimously selected his son, Assemblyman Anthony M. "Tony" Bucco to fill his father's seat until a 2020 special election. Assemblyman Bucco resigned from the Assembly the day he was sworn into the Senate. Another special convention was then held made up of the Republican County Committee members, in order to fill the vacant Assembly seat. At a November 21 convention, Aura K. Dunn was chosen to serve until the end of the current legislative session, January 14, 2020. Upon the start of the new session, Tony Bucco declined to be seated to the Assembly seat to which he was elected in November 2019 and a third convention was held on February 1, 2020, which unanimously selected Dunn to serve until a special election in November 2020.

Election history Session Senate General Assembly 1974–1975 James Wallwork (R) Jane Burgio (R) Thomas Kean (R) 1976–1977 Jane Burgio (R) Thomas Kean (R) 1978–1979 James Wallwork (R) Jane Burgio (R) Frederic Remington (R) 1980–1981 Jane Burgio (R) Frederic Remington (R) 1982–1983 John H. Dorsey (R) Arthur R. Albohn (R) James J. Barry Jr. (R)Resigned February 22, 1982 William E. Bishop (R)Elected to the Assembly in April 1982 special election, sworn in on May 3, 1982 1984–1985 John H. Dorsey (R) Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 1986–1987 Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 1988–1989 John H. Dorsey (R) Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 1990–1991Staff. "Vote Totals for the Elections Held on Tuesday in New York and New Jersey", The New York Times, November 9, 1989. Accessed June 23, 2010. Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 1992–1993 John H. Dorsey (R) Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 1994–1995Sullivan, 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, November 4, 1993. Accessed June 23, 2010. Gordon MacInnes (D) Arthur R. Albohn (R) Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)Resigned January 3, 1995 upon his election to Congress Anthony R. Bucco (R)Appointed to the Assembly on January 23, 1995 1996–1997 Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony R. Bucco (R) 1998–1999Staff. "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for the New Jersey Assembly", The New York Times, November 5, 1997. Accessed September 7, 2010. Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2000–2001Kocieniewski, David. "THE 1999 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY; Democrats Win Seats in Three Districts, Narrowing Republicans' Majority", The New York Times, November 3, 1999. Accessed September 7, 2010. Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2002–2003Staff. "THE 2001 ELECTIONS; RESULTS -- The Races for New Jersey", The New York Times, November 8, 2001. Accessed September 7, 2010. Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2004–2005Kocieniewski, David. "THE 2003 ELECTION: THE STATEHOUSE; Democrats Seize Senate And Widen Assembly Gap", The New York Times, November 5, 2003. Accessed June 23, 2010. Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2006–2007 Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2008–2009 Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Rick Merkt (R) 2010–2011Staff. "2009 Election Results" , The New York Times, November 9, 2009. Accessed September 7, 2010. Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony M. Bucco (R) 2012–2013 Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony M. Bucco (R) 2014–2015 Anthony R. Bucco (R) Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony M. Bucco (R) 2016–2017 Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony M. Bucco (R)2018–2019 Anthony R. Bucco (R)Died September 16, 2019 Michael Patrick Carroll (R) Anthony M. Bucco (R)Appointed to the Senate on October 24, 2019, won November 3, 2020 special election to complete the termAnthony M. Bucco (R) Aura K. Dunn (R)Appointed to the Assembly on November 25, 20192020–2021 Brian Bergen (R) Seat vacantAnthony M. Bucco was elected to the Assembly in 2019, but declined to take his seat in order to stay in the Senate Aura K. Dunn (R)Appointed to the Assembly on February 3, 2020, won November 3, 2020 special election to complete the term 2022–2023 Anthony M. Bucco (R) Brian Bergen (R) Aura K. Dunn (R) 2024–2025 Anthony M. Bucco (R) Christian Barranco (R) Aura K. Dunn (R) 2026–2027 Marisa Sweeney (D) Aura K. Dunn (R)

Election results