New Jersey's 13th congressional district

"NJ-13" redirects here. NJ-13 may also refer to New Jersey Route 13.

New Jersey's 13th congressional district
Current Representative		Albio Sires (D–West New York)
Distribution	100.00% urban, 0.00% rural
Population (2000)	647,258
Median income	$37,129
Ethnicity	56.1% White, 12.8% Black, 5.6% Asian, 47.6% Hispanic, .1% Native American, 4.8% other
Cook PVI	D+21

New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District (together with the 14th district) was created starting with the 73rd United States Congress in 1933, based on redistricting following the United States Census, 1930. It is currently represented by Democrat Albio Sires. Based on the 2010 Census, the 13th District will be eliminated following the 2012 elections.

Demography

Of the district's 647,258 residents, 308,247 identified themselves as being Hispanic, accounting for 47.6% of the district's population.^[1]

Geography

For the 108th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2000 Census), the district contains portions of 4 counties and 17 municipalities.

Essex County:

Newark (part; also 10)

Hudson County:

Bayonne (part), East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, Jersey City (part; also 9 and 10), Kearny (part; also 9), North Bergen (part; also 9), Union City, Weehawken, West New York

Middlesex County:

Carteret, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge Township (part; also 7)

Union County:

Elizabeth (part; also 10), Linden (part; also 7 and 10)

2006 elections

Main article: New Jersey 13th congressional district special election, 2006

This district is considered solidly Democratic, with the winner of the Democratic Party primary the near-certain winner in November's general election, both in the special and regular elections.

Sires won the seat in a special election on November 7, 2006, after Bob Menendez resigned from this seat on January 16, 2006 in advance of his assumption of the Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who in turn left his Senate seat to become Governor of New Jersey. Sires also won the general election, and will represent the district through at least 2008.

The two most prominent names running for the seat in the regular election were the former Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, Albio Sires of West New York, and Assemblyman Joseph Vas, who is also Mayor of Perth Amboy, both of whom ran in the Democratic primary. While the two faced off to fill the full two-year term, Vas decided not to run in the special election to fill the two months remaining in Menendez's term.^[2]

In the primary for the full two-year term, held on June 6, 2006, Albio Sires beat Joseph Vas, capturing almost 75% of the vote. In the general election, Sires beat Republican John Guarini who had run unopposed for the GOP nod.

In the special primary to fill the remaining two months of the current term, Sires won approximately 90% of the vote, defeating James Geron, assuring Sires of the seat as no Republican opposed him in the special election. Sires was sworn in to Congress on November 13, 2006.

Voting

Election results from presidential races
Year	Office	Results
2008	President	Obama 75 - 24%
2004	President	Kerry 69 - 31%
2000	President	Gore 72 - 25%

Representatives

Representatives from the district since its creation in 1933 have included:

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
Mary Teresa Norton	Democratic	March 4, 1933 - January 3, 1951		Redistricted from the 12th district Retired
Alfred D. Sieminski	Democratic	January 3, 1951 - January 3, 1959
Cornelius Edward Gallagher	Democratic	January 3, 1959 - January 3, 1973		Lost renomination
Joseph J. Maraziti	Republican	January 3, 1973 - January 3, 1975
Helen Stevenson Meyner	Democratic	January 3, 1975 - January 3, 1979		Lost re-election
James A. Courter	Republican	January 3, 1979 - January 3, 1983		Redistricted to the 12th district
Edwin B. Forsythe	Republican	January 3, 1983 - March 29, 1984		Redistricted from the 6th district Died
Vacant		March 29, 1984 - November 6, 1984
Jim Saxton	Republican	November 6, 1984 - January 3, 1993		Redistricted to the 3rd district
Bob Menendez	Democratic	January 3, 1993 - January 16, 2006	Hoboken	Resigned to take United States Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine
Vacant		January 16, 2006-November 13, 2006
Albio Sires	Democratic	November 13, 2006–present	West New York	Incumbent

References

1. ^ New Jersey's 13th Congressional District: P4. Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race, United States Census, 2000, accessed September 5, 2006
2. ^ No special election in June for Vas, The Star-Ledger, April 12, 2006

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

Coordinates: 40°43′41″N 74°04′40″W / 40.7281575°N 74.0776417°W / 40.7281575; -74.0776417