The 2001 New Jersey General Assembly elections were held on November 6, 2001, for all 80 seats in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. The election coincided with a gubernatorial election where Democrat Jim McGreevey won. Republicans held a 45-35 majority in the lower house prior to the election. The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one state senator and two State Assembly members. New Jersey uses coterminous legislative districts for both its State Senate and General Assembly. This was the first election under the maps from the 2000 census.
The Democratic Party flipped the chamber with a 44-36 majority. As of 2025, Democrats continue to hold a majority in the General Assembly. Democrats were able to flip one seat in the 1st, 36th, and 38th districts, and both seats in the 3rd, 22nd, and 34th.
Background Redistricting
The new map was based on a revised Democratic map chosen by Professor Larry Bartels of Princeton University, the non-partisan member of the reapportionment commission. Republicans challenged the district map under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, arguing that by shifting some African-American and Hispanic voters out of three predominantly minority districts in and around Newark and spreading them to other, mostly white districts, the plan diluted minority voting strength. The case was rejected by the U.S. Court for the District of New Jersey. The Republican suit was dismissed partly under the influence of the near-unanimous support of New Jersey's incumbent minority legislators for the Democratic claim that their map would result in more minority representation, rather than less.
Incumbents not seeking re-election Democratic Bob Smith, District 17 Barbara Buono, District 18 Joseph Suliga, District 20 Nia Gill, District 27 LeRoy J. Jones Jr., District 27 Joseph Charles, District 31 Ken Zisa, District 37
Republican Kenneth LeFevre, District 2 Jack Collins, District 3 Gary Stuhltrager, District 3 Joel Weingarten, District 21 Richard Bagger, District 22 Leonard Lance, District 23 Marion Crecco, District 34 John V. Kelly, District 36 Guy Talarico, District 38 Nicholas Felice, District 40
Summary of results by district Legislative DistrictPositionIncumbent PartyElected Assembly Member Party1st1st 1 Nicholas Asselta Republican Nicholas Asselta Republican 2 John C. Gibson Republican Jeff Van Drew Democratic2nd2nd 1 Kenneth LeFevre Republican Paul R. D'Amato Republican 2 Francis J. Blee Republican Francis J. BleeRepublican3rd3rd 1 Jack Collins Republican John J. Burzichelli Democrat 2 Gary Stuhltrager Republican Douglas H. Fisher Democrat4th4th 1 Robert J. Smith II Democrat Robert J. Smith II Democrat 2 George Geist Republican George Geist Republican5th5th 1 Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democrat Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democrat 2 Joseph J. Roberts Democrat Joseph J. Roberts Democrat6th6th 1 Louis Greenwald Democrat Louis Greenwald Democrat 2 Mary Previte Democrat Mary Previte Democrat7th7th 1 Herb Conaway Democrat Herb Conaway Democrat 2 Jack Conners Democrat Jack Conners Democrat8th8th 1 Francis Bodine Republican Francis Bodine Republican 2 Larry Chatzidakis Republican Larry Chatzidakis Republican9th9th 1 Jeffrey Moran Republican Jeffrey Moran Republican 2 Christopher J. Connors Republican Christopher J. Connors Republican10th10th 1 James W. Holzapfel Republican James W. Holzapfel Republican 2 David W. Wolfe Republican David W. Wolfe Republican11th11th 1 Thomas S. Smith Republican Thomas S. Smith Republican 2 Steve Corodemus Republican Steve Corodemus Republican12th12th 1 Clare Farragher Republican Clare Farragher Republican 2 Michael Arnone Republican Michael Arnone Republican13th13th 1 Samuel D. Thompson Republican Samuel D. Thompson Republican 2 Joseph Azzolina Republican Joseph Azzolina Republican14th14th 1 Gary Guear Democrat Gary Guear Democrat 2 Linda Greenstein Democrat Linda Greenstein Democrat15th15th 1 Bonnie Watson Coleman Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman Democrat 2 Reed Gusciora Democrat Reed Gusciora Democrat16th16th 1 Peter Biondi Republican Peter Biondi Republican 2 Christopher Bateman Republican Christopher Bateman Republican17th17th 1 Bob Smith Democrat Upendra Chivukula Democrat 2 Jerry Green Democrat Joseph V. Egan Democrat18th18th 1 Peter Barnes Democrat Peter Barnes Democrat 2 Barbara Buono Democrat Patrick J. Diegnan Democrat19th19th 1 Arline Friscia Democrat Arline Friscia Democrat 2 John Wisniewski Democrat John Wisniewski Democrat20th20th 1 Neil M. Cohen Democrat Neil M. Cohen Democrat 2 Joseph Suliga Democrat Joseph Cryan Democrat21st21st 1 Joel Weingarten Republican Thomas Kean Jr. Republican 2 Eric Munoz Republican Eric Munoz Republican22nd22nd 1 Richard Bagger Republican Linda Stender Democrat 2 Thomas Kean Jr. Republican Jerry Green Democrat23rd23rd 1 Leonard Lance Republican Michael J. Doherty Republican 2 Connie Myers Republican Connie Myers Republican24th24th 1 Guy Gregg Republican Guy Gregg Republican 2 Scott Garrett Republican Scott Garrett Republican25th25th 1 Rick Merkt Republican Rick Merkt Republican 2 Michael Patrick Carroll Republican Michael Patrick Carroll Republican26th26th 1 Alex DeCroce Republican Alex DeCroce Republican 2 Joseph Pennacchio Republican Joseph Pennacchio Republican27th27th 1 LeRoy J. Jones Jr. Democrat John F. McKeon Democrat 2 Nia Gill Democrat Mims Hackett Democrat28th28th 1 Craig A. Stanley Democrat Craig A. Stanley Democrat 2 Wilfredo Caraballo Democrat Donald Kofi Tucker Democrat29th29th 1 William D. Payne Democrat William D. Payne Democrat 2 Donald Kofi Tucker Democrat Wilfredo Caraballo Democrat30th30th 1 Joseph Malone Republican Joseph Malone Republican 2 Melvin Cottrell Republican Melvin Cottrell Republican31st31st 1 Joseph Doria Democrat Joseph Doria Democrat 2 Joseph Charles Democrat Elba Perez-Cinciarelli Democrat32nd32nd 1 Joan M. Quigley Democrat Joan Quigley Democrat 2 Anthony Impreveduto Democrat Anthony Impreveduto Democrat33rd33rd 1 Albio Sires Democrat Albio Sires Democrat 2 Rafael Fraguela Democrat Rafael Fraguela Democrat34th34th 1 Marion Crecco Republican Peter C. Eagler Democrat 2 Gerald H. Zecker Republican Willis Edwards Democrat35th35th 1 Nellie Pou Democrat Nellie Pou Democrat 2 Alfred Steele Democrat Alfred Steele Democrat36th36th 1 Paul DiGaetano Republican Paul DiGaetano Republican 2 John V. Kelly Republican Paul Sarlo Democrat37th37th 1 Ken Zisa Democrat Gordon M. Johnson Democrat 2 Loretta Weinberg Democrat Loretta Weinberg Democrat38th38th 1 Guy Talarico Republican Matt Ahearn Democrat 2 Rose Marie Heck Republican Rose Marie Heck Republican39th39th 1 Charlotte Vandervalk Republican Charlotte Vandervalk Republican 2 John E. Rooney Republican John E. Rooney Republican40th40th 1 Nicholas Felice Republican Kevin J. O'Toole Republican 2 David C. Russo Republican David Russo Republican
Close races Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%:
gain D gain
gain D gain D
List of races District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40__NOTOC__
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
See also 2001 New Jersey Senate election
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