1991 New Jersey General Assembly election
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, the Republican Assembly majority of 58 seats is the largest for the Republican party since the adoption of the district map in 1973. This is the last time that Republicans held a veto-proof majority in the chamber, and the last for either party until 2017. Republicans flipped one 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, Republicans controlled the Assembly.
Background
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.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. 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."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.[|Incumbents not running for re-election]
Democratic
- Anthony S. Marsella
- John Paul Doyle
- David C. Schwartz
- Jim McGreevey
- Michael F. Adubato
- Bob Menendez
- Joseph Mecca
- John Girgenti
Republican
[|Summary of races]
Voters in each legislative district elect two members to the New Jersey General Assembly.| Incumbents not running for re-election • Summary 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] |
Close races
Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%:- gain
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District 1
General election
Candidates
- Raymond A. Batten, incumbent Assembly member
- John C. Gibson
- Frank LoBiondo, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Jennifer R. Lookabaugh
District 2
General election
Candidates
- Tom Foley
- John F. Gaffney, Atlantic County Freeholder and former mayor of Linwood
- Frederick P. Nickles
- Fred Scerni, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
District 3
General election
Candidates
- Jack Collins, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Albert S. Fogg III
- James H. Orr Jr.
- Gary Stuhltrager, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Nancy L. Sungenis
- Benjamin W. Timberman
District 4
General election
Candidates
- George Geist
- Ann A. Mullen, incumbent Assembly member since
- Timothy D. Scaffidi
- Mary Virginia Weber
District 5
General election
Candidates
- Wayne R. Bryant, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Walter Jost
- John Randall
- Joseph J. Roberts, incumbent Assembly member since 1987
District 6
General election
Candidates
- Lewis Friedner
- Leonard P. Krivy
- John A. Rocco, incumbent Assembly member since 1980
- Lee Solomon
District 7
General election
Candidates
- Priscilla B. Anderson, mayor of Willingboro and Trenton Public Schools guidance counselor
- Jack Casey, incumbent Assembly member since January 1991 and former mayor of Palmyra
- Barbara Kalik, incumbent Assembly member since 1978
- José F. Sosa, mayor of Mount Holly
District 8
General election
Candidates
- James S. Brophy
- Harold L. Colburn Jr., incumbent Assembly member since 1984
- Robert C. Shinn Jr., incumbent Assembly member since 1985
- Arthur J. Zeichner
District 9
General election
Candidates
- Christopher J. Connors, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- Edward W. Frydendahl Jr.
- Jeffrey Moran, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Len Morano
District 10
General election
Candidates
- Paul C. Brush
- Marlene Lynch Ford, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- Virginia E. Haines, former clerk of the General Assembly
- David W. Wolfe
District 11
General election
Candidates
- Steve Corodemus, member of the Monmouth County Planning Board and former president of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council
- Robert J. Furlong Sr.
- Daniel P. Jacobson, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- James W. Manning
- Tom Smith, mayor of Asbury Park
- John Villapiano, incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and former Monmouth County Freeholder
District 12
General election
Candidates
- Michael Arnone, incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and former mayor of Red Bank
- Arnold Bellush
- James H. Dorn
- Clare Farragher, incumbent Assembly member since 1987 and member of the Freehold Township Committee
- Michael A. Ferguson
- Virginia A. Flynn
- Donald W. Jamison
District 13
General election
Candidates
- Irvin B. Beaver
- Richard A. Cooper
- Joe Kyrillos, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Claudia Montelione
- Joann H. Smith, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
District 14
General election
Candidates
- Peter A. Cantu, incumbent Assembly member since August 1991
- Anthony J. Cimino, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Paul Kramer, Mercer County Freeholder
- Kevin John Meara
- Paul Rizzo
- Barbara Wright, former mayor of Plainsboro Township
District 15
General election
Candidates
- Robert Gunderman
- John Hartmann, Seton Hall University School of Law student
- Bucky Leggett
- Gerard S. Naples, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Steven Schlossstein
- John S. Watson, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Channell Wilkins
District 16
General election
Candidates
- Walter J. Kavanaugh, incumbent Assembly member since 1978
- John S. Penn, incumbent Assembly member since 1984
- Julia Pepe Cino
- James C. Walker
District 17
General election
Candidates
- Joseph S. Ginn
- Jerry Green, Union County Freeholder
- Frank A. Santoro
- Bob Smith, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Al Olszewski
- Barbara Weigel
- Moses Williams
District 18
General election
Candidates
- Michael Baker, incumbent Assembly member since July 1991
- Harriet Derman, tax attorney
- George A. Spadoro, incumbent Assembly member 1988
- Jeff Warsh
District 19
General election
Candidates
- Thomas J. Deverin, incumbent Assembly member since 1970
- Stephen A. Mikulak
- Ernest L. Oros, member of the Woodbridge Township Council
- Jay Ziznewski
District 20
General election
Candidates
- Tom Dunn, mayor of Elizabeth and former member of the State Senate
- Philip G. Gentile
- George Hudak, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Richard E. Hunt
District 21
General election
Candidates
- Bill Ciccone
- Neil M. Cohen, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- Frank Covello
- Monroe Jay Lustbader, Essex County Freeholder
- Maureen Ogden, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
District 22
General election
Candidates
- Richard Bagger, mayor of Westfield
- Bob Franks, incumbent Assembly member since 1980 and chair of the New Jersey Republican Party
- Edward Kahn
- Richard Kress
District 23
General election
Candidates
- Rosemarie Albanese
- Diane Bowman
- Frederick P. Cook
- Chuck Haytaian, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Leonard Lance, incumbent Assembly member since February 1991
- Charles D. Meyer
District 24
General election
Candidates
- Stuart Bacha
- Scott Garrett, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- Dick Kamin, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Michael J. Larose
- Compton C. Pakenham
District 25
General election
Candidates
- Arthur R. Albohn, incumbent Assembly member since 1980
- Rodney Frelinghuysen, incumbent Assembly member since 1984
- Ann Avram Humber
- Marc N. Pindus
District 26
General election
Candidates
- Alex DeCroce, incumbent Assembly member since 1989
- Richard Hrazanek
- Robert Martin, incumbent Assembly member since 1985
- Patricia Pilson Scott
- Jerry Vitiello
District 27
General election
Candidates
- Robert L. Brown
- Stephanie R. Bush, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Dorcas O'Neal-Williams
- Daniel L. Tindall Jr.
District 28
General election
Candidates
- Consiglia Amato-DeMeo
- Phyllis C. Cedola
- Al Duncan
- Marlene Karen Kopperud
- Harry McEnroe, incumbent Assembly member since 1980
- James Zangari, incumbent Assembly member since 1980
District 29
General election
Candidates
- Delores W. Battle
- Willie B. Brown, incumbent Assembly member since 1974
- Kurt A. Culbreath
- Don Mackle
- Jackie Mattison, incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and chief of staff to Newark mayor Sharpe James
- Jason Redrup
- Janie R. Thomas
District 30
General election
Candidates
- Ralph Adinolfe
- Melvin Cottrell, member of the Jackson Township Committee and former mayor
- Robert W. Singer, former Assembly member and mayor of Lakewood
- Michael G. Tamn
District 31
General election
Candidates
- Joseph Charles, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Joseph Doria, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and incumbent Assembly member since 1980
- Michael D. Webb
- James Patrick White
District 32
General election
Candidates
- Gaston Delgado
- Anthony Impreveduto, incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and member of the Secaucus Town Council
- David Kronick, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Robert MacMillan
District 33
General election
Candidates
- A. Lazaro Guas
- Bernard Kenny, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- Antonio Miguelez
- Louis Romano, Memorial High School teacher
District 34
General election
Candidates
- Marion Crecco, incumbent Assembly member since 1986
- Sabina O'Brien
- Victor Rabbat
- Gerald H. Zecker, incumbent Assembly member since 1984 and former mayor of Clifton
District 35
General election
Candidates
- Martin G. Barnes, member of the Paterson City Council
- Eli M. Burgos
- Frank Catania, incumbent Assembly member since 1990
- Bill Pascrell, incumbent Assembly member since 1988 and mayor of Paterson
District 36
General election
Candidates
- Paul DiGaetano, member of the Passaic City Council and former Assembly member
- Louis J. Gill, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
- John V. Kelly, incumbent Assembly member since 1986 and mayor of Nutley
- Alfred R. Restiano
District 37
General election
Candidates
- Byron Baer, incumbent Assembly member since 1972
- John Gramuglia
- Joseph Marino
- D. Bennett Mazur, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- Harvey Salb
- John R. Smith
District 38
General election
Candidates
- Frank Biasco
- Thomas J. Duch, incumbent Assembly member since 1986 and former mayor of Garfield
- Rose Marie Heck, incumbent Assembly member since January 1991 and mayor of Hasbrouck Heights
- Patrick J. Roma, incumbent Assembly member since 1988
District 39
General election
Candidates
- Patricia Rainsford
- Robert Reiss
- John E. Rooney, incumbent Assembly member since 1983 and former mayor of Northvale
- Andrew Vaccaro
- Charlotte Vandervalk, incumbent Assembly member since February 1991 and former Bergen County Freeholder
District 40
General election
Candidates
- William J. Branagh
- Martin Etler
- Nicholas Felice, incumbent Assembly member since 1982
- David C. Russo, incumbent Assembly member since 1990