2001 New Jersey General Assembly election


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

Republican

Summary of results by district

Close races

Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%:
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  6. gain D
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List of races

District 8