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 === 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 == === Close races === Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%: District 1, 9.8% gain D District 3, 9.4% gain District 4, 1.4% District 12, 7.7% District 14, 7.6% District 36, 1.8% gain D District 38, 0.2% 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 === == See also == 2001 New Jersey Senate election == Notes == == References ==