Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (D) Voting-age population 176,403 | Population 235,440 | |
 | ||
Assembly members John J. Burzichelli (D)
Adam Taliaferro (D) Registration 34.7% Democratic
20.5% Republican
44.5% unaffiliated Demographics 76.4% White
14.3% Black/African American
0.6% Native American
1.5% Asian
0.0% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
4.6% Other race
2.5% Two or more races
9.8% Hispanic | ||
New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District is one of 40 in the state. As of the 2011 apportionment the district covers the Cumberland County municipalities of Bridgeton, Deerfield Township and Upper Deerfield Township; the Gloucester County municipalities of Clayton, East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Franklin Township, Glassboro, Greenwich Township, Logan Township, National Park, Newfield, Paulsboro, South Harrison Township, Swedesboro, West Deptford Township, Woodbury Heights and Woolwich Township; and all Salem County municipalities, including Alloway Township, Carneys Point Township, Elmer, Elsinboro Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township, Oldmans Township, Penns Grove, Pennsville Township, Pilesgrove Township, Pittsgrove Township, Quinton Township, Salem, Upper Pittsgrove Township and Woodstown.
Contents
As of the 2010 United States Census, the district had a population of 235,440, of whom 176,403 (74.9%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 179,956 (76.4%) White, 33,687 (14.3%) African American, 1,480 (0.6%) Native American, 3,547 (1.5%) Asian, 45 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 10,833 (4.6%) from some other race, and 5,892 (2.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,152 (9.8%) of the population. The district had 146,547 registered voters as of December 31, 2016, of whom 65,206 (44.5%) were registered as unaffiliated, 50,818 (34.7%) were registered as Democrats, 30,015 (20.5%) were registered as Republicans, and 508 (0.3%) were registered to other parties.
Political representation
The district is represented for the 2016–2017 Legislative Session (Senate, General Assembly) in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township) and in the General Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and Adam Taliaferro (D, Woolwich Township).
1965–1973
The 1964 Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims required legislative districts' populations be equal as possible. As an interim measure, the 3rd District in the 1965 State Senate election encompassed all of Camden County and elected two members to the Senate. In this case, Republican Frederick Scholz and Democrat A. Donald Bigley were sent to Trenton for a two-year term beginning in 1966.
For the next three elections, the 3rd District became made up of all of Camden, Gloucester, and Salem counties and was further divided into four Assembly districts (Districts 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D). In the 1967 and 1971 Senate elections, a total of four Senators were elected from the district but candidates were nominated by Assembly district and were elected by only the residents of the respective district. Each Assembly district elected two members in each election.
The members elected to the Senate from each district are as follows:
The members elected to the Assembly from each district are as follows:
District composition since 1973
Starting in 1973 with the creation of 40 equal-population districts statewide, the 3rd District was made up of all of Salem County and most of Gloucester County. Some southeastern Gloucester County municipalities were removed from the District in the 1981 redistricting but several sparsely-populated Cumberland County townships along the Delaware Bay were added. The Cumberland County city of Bridgeton and some adjacent townships were added in the 1991 redistricting but the boroughs of Pitman and Glassboro were moved out. The only changes made during the 2001 redistricting were the removal of Woodbury and the addition of Elk Township and Clayton borough.
The 2011 apportionment added Franklin Township (from 4th District), Glassboro (4th), Newfield (4th) and Woodbury Heights (5th). Municipalities that had been in the 3rd District as part of the 2001 apportionment that were shifted out of the district are Commercial Township, Downe Township, Fairfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Shiloh and Stow Creek Township (all to the 1st District); and Harrison Township, Mantua Township and Wenonah (all to the 5th District).