Politics of Essex County, New Jersey

2012-date: Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat), Elected 2012, Re-elected 2014. Payne was serving as an Essex County Freeholder and Newark City Councilman when he won a 2012 Special Election following the death of his father.

1989-2012: Donald M. Payne (Democrat), Elected 1988, Re-elected 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Died in office in 2012. 1949-1989: Peter W. Rodino (Democrat), Elected 1948, Re-elected 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1986. Did not seek re-election to a 21st term in 1988. Rodino's predecessor, Republican Fred A. Hartley, Jr., was from Hudson County (Kearny).

1963-1985: Joseph Minish (Democrat), Elected 1962, Re-elected 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982. Defeated for re-election in 1984 by Assembly Minority Leader Dean Gallo, a Republican from Morris County (Parsippany).

1949-1963: Hugh Joseph Addonizio (Democrat), Elected 1948, Re-elected 1950, 1952, 1954, 1958 and 1960. Did not seek re-election in 1962, but instead ran for Mayor of Newark.

1943-1949: Frank Sundstrom (Republican), Elected 1942, Re-elected 1944 and 1946. Defeated for re-election by Addonizio.

1939-1943: Albert L. Vreeland (Republican), Elected 1938, Re-elected 1940. Did not seek re-election in 1942 but instead enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II.

1937-1939: Edward L. O'Neill (Democrat), Elected 1936. Defeated for re-election in 1938 by Vreeland.

1931-1937: Peter Angelo Cavicchia (Republican), Elected 1930, Re-elected 1932 and 1934. Defeated for re-election in 1936 by O'Neill.

1965-1966: Paul J. Krebs (Democrat), Elected 1964. Did not seek re-election in 1966 after his district was eliminated in redistricting.

1959-1965: George M. Wallhauser (Republican), Elected in 1958, Re-elected in 1960 and 1962. Did not seek re-election in 1964.

1939-1959: Robert W. Kean, (Republican), Elected 1938, Re-elected 1940, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1956. Did not seek re-election in 1958, but instead was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator.

1937-1939: Frank William Towey, Jr. (Democrat), Elected 1936. Defeated for re-election in 1938 by Kean.

1915-1937: Frederick R. Lehlbach (Republican), Elected 1914, Re-elected 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1932 and 1934. Defeated for re-election in 1936 by Towey.

Until 1965, Essex County had one State Senator, elected in countywide elections:

1927-1935: Joseph G. Wolber (Republican), Elected 1926. Re-elected 1929 and 1932. Did not seek re-election in 1935 following his appointment as a New Jersey Circuit Court Judge.

1936-1938: Lester H. Clee (Republican), Elected 1935. Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey, 1937. Did not seek re-election in 1938.

1939-1941: Homer C. Zink (Republican), Elected 1938. Elected by the legislature to serve as New Jersey State Controller in 1941.

1942-1947: Roy V. Wright (Republican), Elected 1941. Re-elected 1944. Did not seek re-election in 1947.

1948-53: Alfred C. Clapp (Republican), Elected 1947. Re-elected 1951. Resigned in 1953 to become a Superior Court Judge.

1953-55: Marc Anton (Republican), Elected 1953 (Special Election). Defeated for re-election, 1955.

1956-64: Donal C. Fox (Democrat), Elected 1955. Re-elected 1959. Did not seek re-election, 1963.

1964-66: C. Robert Sarcone (Republican). Elected 1963. Defeated for re-election, 1965.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. Sims (more commonly known as One Man, One Vote), required redistricting by state legislatures for congressional districts to keep represented populations equal, as well as requiring both houses of state legislatures to have districts drawn that contained roughly equal populations, and to perform redistricting when needed.[5] Because of its population, Essex County went from one state senate seat to four. In 1965, all four Essex Senators were elected countywide At-Large for a two-year term:

1966-1968: Nicholas T. Fernicola (Democrat), Elected 1965. Defeated for re-election, 1967.

1966-1968: Maclyn S. Goldman (Democrat), Elected 1965. Defeated for re-election, 1967.

1966-1968: John J. Giblin (Democrat), Elected 1965. Defeated for re-election, 1967.

1966-1968: Hutchins F. Inge (Democrat), Elected 1965. Defeated for re-election, 1967.

As New Jersey adjusted to One Man, One Vote, the state reapportioned the state senate again for the 1967 elections. Essex County went from four state senate seats to six. In 1967, all six Essex Senators were elected countywide At-Large for four-year terms:

1968-1982: James Wallwork (Republican), Elected 1967. Re-elected 1971, 1973 and 1977. Did not seek re-election in 1981, but instead sought the Republican nomination for Governor.

1968-1974: Michael Giuliano (Republican), Elected 1967. Re-elected 1971. Defeated for re-election, 1973.

1968-1971: David Dowd (Republican), Elected 1967. Resigned in 1971 to become General Counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

1968-1972: Alexander Matturri (Republican), Elected 1967. Candidate for Mayor of Newark, 1970. Did not seek re-election in 1971.

1968-1972: Milton Waldor (Republican), Elected 1967. Defeated for re-election, 1971.

1968-1972: Gerardo Del Tufo (Republican), Elected 1967. Did not seek re-election in 1971, but instead was elected to the Essex County Board of Freeholders.

A Special Election was held in November 1971 to fill the unexpired term of Senator David Dowd (Republican), who had resigned to become General Counsel of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The seat was won by Democrat Charles B. DeMarco, who served in the Senate from November 1971 to January 1972.

Essex County lost one State Senate seat following Reapportionment for the 1971 general election, going from six seats to five seats. In 1971, all five Essex Senators were elected countywide At-Large for two-year terms.

Republican Senators James Wallwork and Michael Giuliano were re-elected. Waldor was defeated, and Democrats picked up the open seats being vacated by Matturri and Dowd.

1972-1999: Wynona Lipman (Democrat), Elected 1971. Re-elected 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1993 and 1997. Died in office, 1999.

1972-1974: Ralph DeRose (Democrat), Elected 1971. Did not seek re-election in 1973, but instead sought the Democratic nomination for Governor.

1972-1982: Frank J. Dodd (Democrat), Elected 1971. Re-elected 1973 and 1977. Did not seek re-election in 1981, but instead sought the Democratic nomination for Governor.

For the first time, the state was to be divided into 40 legislative districts, with each district electing one state senator and two members of the General Assembly. The districts were drawn first to achieve a population balance (districts were drawn to be within +/- 4% of each other), and then to be as geographically compact as possible. Many districts included parts of several counties. Some districts had more than one incumbent.[6]

Essex County was part of five legislative Districts:

The predominantly Essex County-based 25th District included parts of suburban Western Essex County, as well as two towns in Morris County and Wayne in Passaic County. Wallwork (R-Short Hills) was the incumbent Senator. He was re-elected over Roseland Councilman Joel Wasserman.

The all-Essex 26th District included East Orange, West Orange, and Orange. Dodd (D-West Orange) was the incumbent Senator. He was re-elected.

The all-Essex 27th District was based in northeastern Essex County and included Montclair, Bloomfield and Nutley. The incumbent Senator was Giuliano (R-Bloomfield). He was defeated for re-election by Democrat Carmen Orechio, the mayor of Nutley.

The all-Essex 28th District included part of Newark (West Ward), and Irvington and South Orange. The incumbent was DeRose (D-South Orange), who gave up his Senate seat to run for governor. The winner of the open seat was Democrat Martin L. Greenberg.

The all-Essex 29th District was entirely in the City of Newark. Lipman (D-Newark) was the incumbent Senator. (Lipman had been a resident of Montclair, but moved to Newark to run in District 29.) She was re-elected.

The 30th District included part of Newark (North Ward) and Belleville, and the Hudson County towns of Harrison and Kearny. There was no incumbent Senator. The winner of the open seat was Assemblyman Anthony Imperiale, who ran as an Independent.

Districts remained the same for the 1977 elections. All incumbents sought re-election.

Wallwork was re-elected against Democrat Lewis J. Paper.

Dodd was re-elected against Republican Nancy Jane Schron, the former East Orange City Council President.

Orechio was re-elected against Republican Assemblyman John N. Dennis.

Greenberg was re-elected against Republican James A. Pindar, a Roman Catholic Priest and a professor of communications at Seton Hall University.

Lipman was re-elected against Republican Manuel Angel Colon.

Imperiale was defeated in his bid for re-election to a second term in the Senate by Democrat Frank X. Rodgers, the longtime Mayor of Harrison, New Jersey.

Greenberg resigned from the Senate to return to his law practice and represent the new Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City.[7] A special election was won by John Caufield, a Democrat and the Newark Fire Director.

The New Jersey Legislature faced redistricting following the 1980 census. Two Senators ran for governor, and two others sought re-election. Wallwork sought the Republican nomination for Governor and his old 25th district as eliminated. Some of the West Essex towns went into the 22nd district, which was shared with Union County, and others went to the 34th district, which was predominantly Passaic County.

District 27, with some changes, was essentially the old 26th. Dodd gave up his Senate seat to seek the Democratic nomination for Governor. He was replaced by Assemblyman Richard Codey.

Caufield was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

District 30, with some changes, resembled the old 27th district. Orechio was re-elected narrowly against Bloomfield Councilman John Crecco.

Districts remained the same for the 1983 elections. All incumbents sought re-election.

Codey was re-elected.

Caufield was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

Orechio was re-elected after an aggressive challenge from Republican Ralph J. Salerno.

Caufield died in office in 1986. Newark West Ward Councilman Ronald Rice won a special election to the state senate.

Districts remained the same for the 1987 elections. All incumbents sought re-election.

Codey was re-elected.

Rice was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

Orechio was re-elected.

The New Jersey Legislature faced redistricting following the 1990 census. The Union County-based District 21 took on several West Essex towns, extending from Union Township to Cedar Grove. The 30th district was eliminated and most of the towns were reapportioned to the Passaic County-based 34th district and the Bergen County-based 36th district. Orechio was placed in the same district as another Democratic Senator, Gabriel Ambrosio, and chose not to seek re-election after 18 years in the Senate.

Codey was re-elected.

Rice was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

Districts remained the same for the 1993 elections. All incumbents sought re-election.

Codey was re-elected.

Rice was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

Districts remained the same for the 1997 elections. All incumbents sought re-election.

Codey was re-elected.

Rice was re-elected.

Lipman was re-elected.

Republican John P. Scott of Bergen County unseated Democratic Senator Gabriel Ambrosio, also of Bergen County, in 1991. Scott was re-elected in 1993. In 1997, Scott lost his Senate seat to an Essex County Democrat, Garry Furnari, the mayor of Nutley.

Lipman died in office. Newark Mayor Sharpe James won a special election convention to replace her in the New Jersey State Senate.

Republican state senator C. Louis Bassano of Union County resigned from the Senate in 2001 to take a job at the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. An Essex County Republican, Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole of Cedar Grove, won a Special Election Convention to fill the remainder of Bassano's term.

The New Jersey Legislature faced redistricting following the 2000 census.

Codey was re-elected in a new district that lost East Orange but picked up suburban West Essex towns.

Rice was re-elected in a new district that added Bloomfield. He defeated Republican Assemblywoman Marion Crecco.

James was re-elected.

The new 34th district went from Leans Republican to Safe Democratic by removing GOP towns like Wayne in Passaic County and replacing them with two Democratic Essex strongholds, East Orange and Montclair. The incumbent Republican Senator, Norman Robertson, lost to Assemblywoman Nia Gill, a Democrat from Montclair.

O'Toole's Essex-Union 21st district was eliminated; O'Toole's hometown, Cedar Grove, was added to the Bergen/Passaic 40th district. Instead of running for re-election to the state senate, O'Toole returned to the Assembly.