1991 New Jersey General Assembly election Last updated April 03, 2025
1991 New Jersey General Assembly election Results: Republican gain Republican hold Democratic hold
The 1991 New Jersey General Assembly election was held on November 5, 1991.
The elections took place midway through Jim Florio 's term as Governor of New Jersey. As in the concurrent New Jersey Senate elections , the Republican Party won a historic landslide, gaining 21 seats to win veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Republicans flipped at least one seat in thirteen Assembly districts and both seats in eight districts, dominating in the New Jersey suburbs and reducing the Democratic Party to a handful of urban centers.
As of 2025 , the Republican Assembly majority of 58 seats is the largest for either party since the adoption of the district map in 1973. Republicans flipped a seat in districts 1, 2, 15, 21, and 34, as well as both seats in districts 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19 and 36. From 1992 to 2002, a span of a decade, Republicans would control the Assembly.
Background Redistricting New Jersey Legislature before (left) and after (right) the 1991 redistricting
As required, the New Jersey legislature redistricted its state legislative districts in advance of the 1991 election. Redistricting was on balance considered to have favored Republicans. [ 1]
Tax increase A centerpiece of the Florio administration's legislative agenda was the passage of a $2.8 billion tax increase. Republicans centered their 1991 campaign on opposition to the increase, as did even some incumbent Democrats, such as Senator Paul Contillo . [ 1] According to the Florio administration, the tax increase was designed to aid blue-collar workers, who were "also the people most upset by enactment of the taxes." [ 1]
Gun control A strict gun control measure was another major legislative achievement of the Florio administration. The bill's passage led the National Rifle Association of America to spend nearly $250,000 in the 1991 elections targeting candidates in both parties who had voted in favor of the bill and supporting those who pledged to repeal it. [ 2]
Incumbents not running for re-election Summary of races Voters in each legislative district elect two members to the New Jersey General Assembly .
↑ Batten was appointed in after Assemblyman Edward H. Salmon resigned in April 1991 to join the Board of Public Utilities . ↑ Roberts won a July 1991 special election to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman Francis J. Gorman , who resigned due to poor health. ↑ Solomon was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman Thomas J. Shusted , who resigned to become Camden County counsel. ↑ Casey was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman Thomas P. Foy , who had resigned to take a seat in the State Senate. ↑ Cantu was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Assembylman Joseph D. Patero , who resigned in August 1991 to join the Department of Labor . ↑ Baker was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Frank M. Pelly, who resigned in July 1991 to become executive director of the New Jersey Lottery . ↑ Redistricted to District 19. ↑ Redistricted to District 21. ↑ Redistricted to District 24. ↑ Redistricted to District 24. ↑ Garrett was appointed to the seat in November 1990 to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman Robert E. Littell , who resigned to join the State Senate. ↑ Redistricted to District 23. ↑ Redistricted to District 28. ↑ Redistricted to District 36. ↑ Redistricted to District 34. ↑ Catania won a 1990 special election to complete the unexpired term of Assemblyman John Girgenti , who resigned to join the State Senate. ↑ Redistricted to District 38. ↑ Vandervalk was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Assemblywoman Elizabeth Randall , who resigned in January 1991 to become Bergen County counsel. Close races Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%:
District 11, 1.8% gainDistrict 4, 2.8% gainDistrict 2, 3.8% gain RDistrict 20, 4.2% District 7, 4.6% gainDistrict 35, 4.8% District 17, 5.5% District 15, 5.55% gain RDistrict 37, 6.9% District 13, 8.6% District 19, 9.2% gainDistrict 1 General election Candidates Raymond A. Batten, incumbent Assembly member (Democratic) John C. Gibson (Republican) Frank LoBiondo , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 (Republican) Jennifer R. Lookabaugh (Democratic) District 3 General election Candidates Jack Collins , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) Albert S. Fogg III (Populist) James H. Orr Jr. (Populist) Gary Stuhltrager , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) Nancy L. Sungenis (Democratic) Benjamin W. Timberman (Democratic) District 5 General election Candidates Wayne R. Bryant , incumbent Assembly member since 1982 (Democratic) Walter Jost (Republican) John Randall (Republican) Joseph J. Roberts , incumbent Assembly member since 1987 (Democratic) District 6 General election Candidates Lewis Friedner (Democratic) Leonard P. Krivy (Democratic) John A. Rocco , incumbent Assembly member since 1980 (Republican) Lee Solomon (Republican) District 8 General election Candidates James S. Brophy (Democratic) Harold L. Colburn Jr. , incumbent Assembly member since 1984 (Republican) Robert C. Shinn Jr. , incumbent Assembly member since 1985 (Republican) Arthur J. Zeichner (Democratic) District 9 General election Candidates Christopher J. Connors , incumbent Assembly member since 1990 (Republican) Edward W. Frydendahl Jr. (Democratic) Jeffrey Moran , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) Len Morano (Democratic) District 12 General election Candidates Michael Arnone , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and former mayor of Red Bank (Republican) Arnold Bellush (Democratic) James H. Dorn (Accountable Independent) Clare Farragher , incumbent Assembly member since 1987 and member of the Freehold Township Committee (Republican) Michael A. Ferguson (Democratic) Virginia A. Flynn (Libertarian) Donald W. Jamison (Libertarian) District 13 General election Candidates Irvin B. Beaver Richard A. Cooper Joe Kyrillos , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 (Republican) Claudia Montelione (Libertarian) Joann H. Smith , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) District 16 General election Candidates Walter J. Kavanaugh , incumbent Assembly member since 1978 (Republican) John S. Penn , incumbent Assembly member since 1984 (Republican) Julia Pepe Cino (Democratic) James C. Walker (Democratic) District 17 General election Candidates Joseph S. Ginn (The People's Voice) Jerry Green , Union County Freeholder (Democratic) Frank A. Santoro (Republican) Bob Smith , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Democratic) Al Olszewski (Populist) Barbara Weigel (Republican) Moses Williams (Equal Justice Committee) District 20 General election Candidates Tom Dunn , mayor of Elizabeth and former member of the State Senate (Democratic) Philip G. Gentile (Republican) George Hudak , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Democratic) Richard E. Hunt (Republican) District 23 General election Candidates Rosemarie Albanese (Democratic) Diane Bowman (Democratic) Frederick P. Cook (Reduce Insurance Rates) Chuck Haytaian , incumbent Assembly member since 1982 (Republican) Leonard Lance , incumbent Assembly member since February 1991 (Republican) Charles D. Meyer (Citizen Not Politician) District 24 General election Candidates Stuart Bacha (Populist) Scott Garrett , incumbent Assembly member since 1990 (Republican) Dick Kamin , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) Michael J. Larose (Democratic) Compton C. Pakenham (Populist) District 25 General election Candidates Arthur R. Albohn , incumbent Assembly member since 1980 (Republican) Rodney Frelinghuysen , incumbent Assembly member since 1984 (Republican) Ann Avram Humber (Democratic) Marc N. Pindus (Democratic) District 26 General election Candidates Alex DeCroce , incumbent Assembly member since 1989 (Republican) Richard Hrazanek (Populist) Robert Martin , incumbent Assembly member since 1985 (Republican) Patricia Pilson Scott (Democratic) Jerry Vitiello (Democratic) District 27 General election Candidates Robert L. Brown (Democratic) Stephanie R. Bush , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 (Democratic) Dorcas O'Neal-Williams (Republican) Daniel L. Tindall Jr. (Direct Representative) District 28 General election Candidates Consiglia Amato-DeMeo (Republican) Phyllis C. Cedola (Republican) Al Duncan (Socialist Workers) Marlene Karen Kopperud (Socialist Workers) Harry McEnroe , incumbent Assembly member since 1980 (Democratic) James Zangari , incumbent Assembly member since 1980 (Democratic) District 29 General election Candidates Delores W. Battle (Proven Leadership) Willie B. Brown , incumbent Assembly member since 1974 (Democratic) Kurt A. Culbreath (Republican) Don Mackle (Socialist Workers) Jackie Mattison , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and chief of staff to Newark mayor Sharpe James (Democratic) Jason Redrup (Socialist Workers) Janie R. Thomas (Republican) District 31 General election Candidates Joseph Charles , incumbent Assembly member since 1982 (Democratic) Joseph Doria , Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and incumbent Assembly member since 1980 (Democratic) Michael D. Webb (Republican) James Patrick White (Republican) District 32 General election Candidates Gaston Delgado (Republican) Anthony Impreveduto , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and member of the Secaucus Town Council (Democratic) David Kronick , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 (Democratic) Robert MacMillan District 34 General election Candidates Marion Crecco , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 (Republican) (re-districted from 30th district ) Sabina O'Brien (Democratic) Victor Rabbat (Democratic) Gerald H. Zecker , incumbent Assembly member since 1984 and former mayor of Clifton (Republican) District 36 General election Candidates Paul DiGaetano , member of the Passaic City Council and former Assembly member (Republican) Louis J. Gill , incumbent Assembly member since 1988 (Democratic) John V. Kelly , incumbent Assembly member since 1986 [ b] and mayor of Nutley (Republican) (re-districted from 30th district ) Alfred R. Restiano (Democratic) District 37 General election Candidates Byron Baer , incumbent Assembly member since 1972 (Democratic) John Gramuglia (Independent) Joseph Marino (Independent) D. Bennett Mazur , incumbent Assembly member since 1982 (Democratic) Harvey Salb (Republican) John R. Smith (Republican) District 40 General election Candidates William J. Branagh (Democratic) Martin Etler (Democratic) Nicholas Felice , incumbent Assembly member since 1982 (Republican) David C. Russo , incumbent Assembly member since 1990 (Republican) Notes ↑ Lynch Ford previously served in the Assembly from 1984 to 1986. ↑ Kelly previously served in the Assembly from 1982 to 1984. References 1 2 3 Sullivan, Joseph F. (November 1, 1991). "Focus Is on a Few Close Races for New Jersey Legislature" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. 1 2 King, Wayne (August 23, 1992). "N.R.A. Is Politically Armed and, to Florio, Dangerous" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (November 1, 2001). "A Political Rise Built on Discipline; Under McGreevey's Self-Deprecation, The Heart of a True Political Animal" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 "Official Results, General Election, November 5, 1991" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2015 .
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