The 216th New Jersey Legislature began on January 14, 2014, at the end of Chris Christie's first term as Governor of New Jersey, and ended on January 12, 2016, halfway through Chris Christie's second term as governor.
Background
The elections for the 216th Legislature were held on November 5, 2013, alongside Chris Christie's landslide re-election. In the Assembly the composition didn't change while in the Senate the composition did not change either.
Composition Assembly
AffiliationMembers Democratic Party48 Republican Party32Total80
Senate
AffiliationMembers Democratic Party24 Republican Party16Total40
Senate The Senate has 40 members, one for each district
Leadership The leadership for the 216th legislative session, which started on January 14, 2014, is as follows:
PositionNameDistrictPresident of the SenateStephen M. SweeneyDistrict 3Majority LeaderLoretta WeinbergDistrict 37President pro temporeNia GillPaul SarloDistrict 34District 36Assistant Majority LeadersJames BeachLinda R. GreensteinTeresa RuizDistrict 6District 14District 29Majority Conference LeaderRobert M. GordonDistrict 38Majority WhipSandra Bolden CunninghamDistrict 31Minority LeaderThomas Kean, Jr.District 21Deputy Minority LeaderDiane AllenDistrict 7Minority Conference LeaderRobert SingerDistrict 30Deputy Minority Conference LeaderJennifer BeckDistrict 11Assistant Republican LeaderJoseph PennacchioDistrict 40Republican Budget OfficerAnthony BuccoDistrict 25
Senators DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst served Dem Dennis Township 2008 Dem Atlantic City 2008 Dem West Deptford Township 2002 Dem Washington Township (Gloucester) 2004 Dem Camden 2014† Dem Voorhees Township 2009† Rep Edgewater Park 1998 Rep Evesham Township 2010† Rep Lacey Township 2008 Rep Toms River 2012 Rep Red Bank 2008 Rep Old Bridge Township 2012 Rep Middletown Township 1992 Dem Plainsboro Township 2010 Dem Lawrence Township (Mercer) 1998 Rep Branchburg Township 2008 Dem Piscataway 2002 Dem Edison 2014 Dem Woodbridge Township 1998 Dem Elizabeth 1983 Rep Westfield 2003† Dem Linden 2004 Rep Oxford Township 2009 Rep Franklin 2008 Rep Boonton Township 1998 Rep Montville 2008 Dem Roseland 1982 Dem Newark 1986 Dem Newark 2008 Rep Lakewood Township 1994 Dem Jersey City 2007† Dem North Bergen 1994 Dem Union City 2008 Dem Montclair 2002 Dem Paterson 2012 Dem Wood-Ridge 2003† Dem Teaneck 2005† Dem Fair Lawn 2008 Rep Demarest 1982 Rep Cedar Grove 20081
† First appointed to the seat 1 O'Toole had previously served in the Senate from 2001 to 2002
Former members from this term DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst servedTerm end Notes Dem Camden2010† Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
Committees and Committee Chairs, 2014-2015 Legislative Session Committee chairs : (All are Democrats)
CommitteeNameBudget and AppropriationsPaul SarloCommerceNia GillCommunity and Urban AffairsJeff Van DrewEconomic GrowthRaymond LesniakEducationTeresa RuizEnvironment and EnergyBob SmithHealth, Human Services and Senior CitizensJoseph VitaleHigher EducationSandra Bolden CunninghamJudiciaryNicholas ScutariLaborFred H. MaddenLaw and Public SafetyLinda R. GreensteinLegislative OversightRobert M. GordonMilitary and Veterans' AffairsJames BeachState Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic PreservationJim WhelanTransportationNicholas Sacco
Assembly The Assembly has 80 members, two for each district.
Leadership Speaker: Vincent Prieto
Majority Leader: Louis Greenwald
Minority Leader: Jon Bramnick
Members DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst served Dem Middle Township 2013First appointed to the seat Rep Vineland2014 Rep Ventnor City2012 Rep Northfield2014 Dem Paulsboro2002 Dem Woolwich Township2015 Dem Washington Township (Gloucester)2006 Dem Gloucester Township2012 Dem Barrington 2015 Seat vacant Dem Voorhees Township1996 Dem Cherry Hill2006 Dem Delanco Township1998 Dem Palmyra2011 Rep Evesham Township2012 Rep Evesham Township2014 Rep Long Beach Township2009 Rep Little Egg Harbor2003 Rep Toms River2012 Rep Brick Township1992 Rep Ocean Township (Monmouth)2008 Rep Colts Neck Township2008 Rep Matawan2012 Rep Plumsted Township2002 Rep Lincroft2006 Rep Little Silver2008 Dem Hamilton Township (Mercer)2011 Dem Hamilton Township2008 Dem Trenton1996 Dem Pennington2015 Rep Hillsborough Township2011 Rep Readington Township2012 Dem Franklin Township (Somerset)2014 Dem New Brunswick2002 Dem South Plainfield2002 Dem East Brunswick2014 Dem Woodbridge Township2010 Dem Sayreville1996 Dem Elizabeth2008 Dem Roselle 2015 Rep Westfield2003 Rep Summit2009 Dem Plainfield1992 Dem Scotch Plains2002 Rep Hackettstown2009 Rep Franklin Township (Hunterdon)2009 Rep Wantage Township 2013 Rep Andover Township 2015 Rep Boonton Township2010 Rep Morris Township1996 Rep Morris Plains2012 Rep Morris Plains2008 Dem South Orange2007 Dem West Orange2002 Dem Bloomfield2008Served in the Assembly as a Republican from 1968–1972 Dem Newark2008 Dem Newark2013 Dem Newark2008 Rep Wall Township2012Served in the Assembly from 2002–2008 Rep Wall Township2008 Dem Jersey City2010 Dem Bayonne2010 Dem West New York2012 Dem Secaucus2004 Dem Hoboken2014 Dem Jersey City2014 Dem Montclair2006 Dem East Orange2004 Dem Paterson2012 Dem Paterson2012 Dem Ridgefield2012 Dem Passaic2006 Dem Englewood2006 Dem Englewood2002 Dem Maywood2012 Dem Paramus2014 Rep River Vale2012 Rep Old Tappan2010 Rep Wayne2008 Rep Ridgewood1990
Former members from this term DistrictNamePartyResidenceFirst servedTerm end Notes Dem Franklin Township (Somerset) 2002 Appointed to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Dem Bridgeton 2009 Elected Cumberland County Clerk Dem Union Township (Union) 2002 Elected Union County Sheriff Dem Ewing Township 1998 Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives Dem Camden 2010 Appointed deputy clerk for Camden County Rep Franklin 2003 Resigned to focus on job as Franklin borough business administrator Dem Camden 2010 Resigned to become Camden County Sheriff
Vacancies Senate DistrictOriginalPartyPeriod of vacancyAppointeeParty of Appointee5thDonald NorcrossDemocratic PartyNovember 12, 2014 – December 15, 2014Nilsa Cruz-PerezDemocratic Party
Assembly DistrictOriginalPartyPeriod of vacancyAppointeeParty of Appointee17thUpendra J. ChivukulaDemocratic PartySeptember 30, 2014 – October 16, 2014Joseph DanielsenDemocratic Party3rdCeleste RileyDemocratic PartyJanuary 1, 2015 – January 15, 2015Adam TaliaferroDemocratic Party20thJoseph CryanDemocratic PartyJanuary 4, 2015 – January 29, 2015Jamel HolleyDemocratic Party15thBonnie Watson ColemanDemocratic PartyJanuary 3, 2015 – February 5, 2015Elizabeth Maher MuoioDemocratic Party5thAngel FuentesDemocratic PartyJune 30, 2015 – November 9, 2015Patricia Egan JonesDemocratic Party24thAlison Littell McHoseRepublican PartyOctober 17, 2015 – December 3, 2015Gail PhoebusRepublican Party5thGilbert "Whip" WilsonDemocratic PartyDecember 2, 2015 – January 12, 2016Successor not seated in sessionNone
See also List of New Jersey state legislatures
References