New Jersey's

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 15th Legislative District is one of 40 in the state, covering the Mercer County

Mercer County, New Jersey

As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...

 municipalities of Ewing Township

Ewing Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 35,790 people, 13,171 households, and 7,980 families residing in the township. There were 13,926 housing units. The racial makeup of the township was 63.1% White, 27.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.2%...

, Hopewell Borough

Hopewell, New Jersey

Hopewell is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,922.Hopewell was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1891, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of a...

, Hopewell Township

Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 17,304. The racial makeup of the township was 86.7% White, 2.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races...

, Lawrence Township

Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...

, Pennington Borough

Pennington, New Jersey

Pennington is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,585.Pennington was established as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 31, 1890, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of...

, Princeton Borough

Borough of Princeton, New Jersey

The Borough of Princeton is a borough and is one of the two municipalities making up Princeton, New Jersey. It lies in Mercer County, New Jersey, and is completely surrounded by Princeton Township, from which it was formed in 1894...

, Princeton Township

Princeton Township, New Jersey

Also Princeton Borough is an independent municipality completely surrounded by the township.Princeton North is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Princeton Township....

 and Trenton

Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...

. As of the 2000 United States Census, the district had a population of 212,000.

Demographic characteristics

The district includes New Jersey's capital, Trenton

Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...

 and a number of its comparatively wealthier suburbs to the north. The district has the smallest population of any district in the state, and has a comparatively higher percentage of African-American residents and a notable percentage of children in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is one of the United States of America's federal assistance programs. It began on July 2, 1997, and succeeded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, providing cash assistance to indigent American families with dependent children through the...

 program. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by an almost 3 to 1 margin.

Political representation

The district is represented in the New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Senate

The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...

 by Shirley Turner

Shirley Turner

Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....

 (D

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887...

) and in the New Jersey General Assembly

New Jersey General Assembly

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

 by Reed Gusciora

Reed Gusciora

Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...

 (D

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, Borough of Princeton

Borough of Princeton, New Jersey

The Borough of Princeton is a borough and is one of the two municipalities making up Princeton, New Jersey. It lies in Mercer County, New Jersey, and is completely surrounded by Princeton Township, from which it was formed in 1894...

) and Bonnie Watson Coleman

Bonnie Watson Coleman

Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....

 (D

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, Ewing Township

Ewing Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 35,790 people, 13,171 households, and 7,980 families residing in the township. There were 13,926 housing units. The racial makeup of the township was 63.1% White, 27.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.2%...

).

Election history

The district had been solidly Republican until 1982, when redistricting following the 1980 United States Census added Trenton to the district, and made the 15th a strongly Democratic district. The 1981 elections brought in Democrats Gerald R. Stockman

Gerald R. Stockman

Gerald R. Stockman is an American attorney and politician who served 10 years in the New Jersey Senate, from 1982 to 1992, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....

 in the Senate, along with Gerald S. Naples and John S. Watson

John S. Watson

John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....

 in the Assembly. The trio remained together in office for a decade.

New Jersey Lottery

New Jersey Lottery

The New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...

 television host ran as a Republican in 1991, having registered with the party only five days before that year's filing deadline. He defeated incumbent Gerald R. Stockman by a narrow 50.9%-49.1% margin. His Republican running mate John W. Hartmann knocked off Naples, while Democrat Watson was narrowly re-elected to a sixth term in office. Hartmann, a 24-year-old student at the Seton Hall University School of Law

Seton Hall University School of Law

The Seton Hall University School of Law is part of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law School is the only private law school in New Jersey, and is the top-ranked of the three law schools in the state...

, became the youngest Republican ever elected to the Assembly.

In the 1993 elections, Democrats sought to recoup their losses suffered in the 1991 Republican landslide. In the Assembly, Shirley Turner

Shirley Turner

Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....

 and Joseph Yuhas ran for office, winning back Hartmann's seat from the Republicans. LaRossa faced Stockman for a second time in 1993, with the incumbent receiving endorsements from the AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...

, locals of the Communication Workers of America and the New Jersey State Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. LaRossa won re-election despite the challenge.

Yuhas stepped down after a single term in office and was replaced on the ballot in 1995 by Reed Gusciora

Reed Gusciora

Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...

.

Session	State Senate	Assembly
1976-1977	Wayne Dumont Wayne Dumont Wayne Dumont, Jr. was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey. He served in the New Jersey Senate for more than 30 years, representing the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District until his retirement in 1990...	Donald J. Albanese	Robert Littell Robert Littell (politician) Robert Eugene Littell is an American Republican Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1990 to 2008, where he represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter...
1978-1979	Wayne Dumont Wayne Dumont Wayne Dumont, Jr. was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey. He served in the New Jersey Senate for more than 30 years, representing the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District until his retirement in 1990...	Donald J. Albanese	Robert Littell Robert Littell (politician) Robert Eugene Littell is an American Republican Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1990 to 2008, where he represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter...
1980-1981		Donald J. Albanese	Robert Littell Robert Littell (politician) Robert Eugene Littell is an American Republican Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1990 to 2008, where he represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter...
1982-1983	Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman is an American attorney and politician who served 10 years in the New Jersey Senate, from 1982 to 1992, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....	Gerald S. Naples	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1984-1985	Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman is an American attorney and politician who served 10 years in the New Jersey Senate, from 1982 to 1992, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....	Gerald S. Naples	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1986-1987		Gerald S. Naples	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1988-1989	Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman Gerald R. Stockman is an American attorney and politician who served 10 years in the New Jersey Senate, from 1982 to 1992, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....	Gerald S. Naples	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1990-1991		Gerald S. Naples	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1992-1993	Dick LaRossa Dick LaRossa Richard Joseph "Dick" LaRossa is an American Republican Party politician who served two terms in the New Jersey Senate, from 1994 to 2000, where he represented the 15th Legislative District.- Early years and education :...	John W. Hartmann	John S. Watson John S. Watson John S. Watson was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District....
1994-1995	Dick LaRossa Dick LaRossa Richard Joseph "Dick" LaRossa is an American Republican Party politician who served two terms in the New Jersey Senate, from 1994 to 2000, where he represented the 15th Legislative District.- Early years and education :...	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....	Joseph Yuhas
1996-1997		Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
1998-1999	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....	Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2000-2001		Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2002-2003	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....	Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2004-2005	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....	Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2006-2007		Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2008-2009	Shirley Turner Shirley Turner Shirley K. Turner is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....	Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....
2010-2011		Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora Reed Gusciora is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 15th Legislative District...	Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman Bonnie Watson Coleman is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where she represents the 15th Legislative District....

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