The district had 180,724 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 68,632 (38.0%) were registered as
unaffiliated, 65,999 (36.5%) were registered as
Democrats, 44,514 (24.6%) were registered as
Republicans, and 1,579 (0.9%) were registered to other parties.[7]
Home ownership was high as was the percentage of college graduates. District residents were comparatively wealthy, with high incomes and property values that have resulted in low municipal and other property taxes. The district has low numbers of
African-Americans, the elderly and poor children. Prior to the 2011 apportionment, registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats by a 2 to 1 margin.[8] Throughout most of the district's history, Republicans held a strong grip in winning elections with the district electing only Republican legislators for over 40 years, one of two in the state (the
40th district is the other).[9] However, the 2011 round of redistricting made the district significantly more Democratic. It gained the Democratic strongholds of Princeton and South Brunswick and lost
Bridgewater,
Mendham Borough and the
Somerset Hills, all of which leaned Republican. The district elected its first Democrat,
Andrew Zwicker, in 2015.[10]
Following the 1981 redistricting, the district largely remained the same with Rocky Hill and Millstone boroughs being shifted to the
14th district, Readington trading with
East Amwell Township to be Hunterdon's lone municipality in the district, and the removal of the Chesters to add
Mendham Township in the Morris County portion.[14] Again, most of Somerset County remained a part of the 16th for the 1991 redistricting, but Franklin Township and its neighboring Somerset County boroughs were added to the district while
Bound Brook,
Warren Township,
Green Brook,
Wharton, and
North Plainfield were shifted elsewhere; the only municipality outside of Somerset included in the district this decade was Mendham Borough.[15] John Ewing chose not to run for re-election in 1997 after 30 years in the legislature. He was replaced in the Senate by
Walter J. Kavanaugh, with
Peter J. Biondi elected to Kavanaugh's former seat in the Assembly. Ewing remarked that "Dear Walter [Kavanaugh] has been waiting and waiting to take my place... he keeps threatening to push me in front of a bus".[16]
Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative
redistricting in 2001, based on the results of the
2000 United States census, added Bound Brook (from the
17th legislative district) and removed Franklin Township (to the 17th legislative district).[15][17]Kip Bateman moved up to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of Walter Kavanaugh in the 2007 elections. Peter Biondi won re-election and was joined in the Assembly by
Denise Coyle, a member of the Somerset County
Board of Chosen Freeholders.[18]
In 2011, Coyle declined to run for re-election as her Bernards Township home was moved out of the district[20] and the seat was won by
Jack Ciattarelli, a member of the Somerset County
Board of Chosen Freeholders. After Peter Biondi died two days after winning re-election, Ciattarelli was appointed to complete Biondi's unexpired term ending January 10, 2012. Biondi's seat was then vacant again until Readington Township committeewoman
Donna Simon was sworn in on January 30, 2012 [21] as an interim appointee pending a November 2012 special election where she defeated Marie Corfield by just under 1,000 votes out of 91,000 ballots cast.[22][1] Simon & Ciattarelli were both re-election but Simon was defeated in 2015 in a close race by Democrat Andrew Zwicker in 2015. Initial counts showed Simon ahead of Zwicker on the night of the election (Ciattarelli was far enough ahead in first place to be ensured victory) but following the counting of
provisional ballots, Simon conceded November 16.[23]
The district had 180,724 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 68,632 (38.0%) were registered as
unaffiliated, 65,999 (36.5%) were registered as
Democrats, 44,514 (24.6%) were registered as
Republicans, and 1,579 (0.9%) were registered to other parties.[7]
Home ownership was high as was the percentage of college graduates. District residents were comparatively wealthy, with high incomes and property values that have resulted in low municipal and other property taxes. The district has low numbers of
African-Americans, the elderly and poor children. Prior to the 2011 apportionment, registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats by a 2 to 1 margin.[8] Throughout most of the district's history, Republicans held a strong grip in winning elections with the district electing only Republican legislators for over 40 years, one of two in the state (the
40th district is the other).[9] However, the 2011 round of redistricting made the district significantly more Democratic. It gained the Democratic strongholds of Princeton and South Brunswick and lost
Bridgewater,
Mendham Borough and the
Somerset Hills, all of which leaned Republican. The district elected its first Democrat,
Andrew Zwicker, in 2015.[10]
Following the 1981 redistricting, the district largely remained the same with Rocky Hill and Millstone boroughs being shifted to the
14th district, Readington trading with
East Amwell Township to be Hunterdon's lone municipality in the district, and the removal of the Chesters to add
Mendham Township in the Morris County portion.[14] Again, most of Somerset County remained a part of the 16th for the 1991 redistricting, but Franklin Township and its neighboring Somerset County boroughs were added to the district while
Bound Brook,
Warren Township,
Green Brook,
Wharton, and
North Plainfield were shifted elsewhere; the only municipality outside of Somerset included in the district this decade was Mendham Borough.[15] John Ewing chose not to run for re-election in 1997 after 30 years in the legislature. He was replaced in the Senate by
Walter J. Kavanaugh, with
Peter J. Biondi elected to Kavanaugh's former seat in the Assembly. Ewing remarked that "Dear Walter [Kavanaugh] has been waiting and waiting to take my place... he keeps threatening to push me in front of a bus".[16]
Changes to the district made as part of the New Jersey Legislative
redistricting in 2001, based on the results of the
2000 United States census, added Bound Brook (from the
17th legislative district) and removed Franklin Township (to the 17th legislative district).[15][17]Kip Bateman moved up to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of Walter Kavanaugh in the 2007 elections. Peter Biondi won re-election and was joined in the Assembly by
Denise Coyle, a member of the Somerset County
Board of Chosen Freeholders.[18]
In 2011, Coyle declined to run for re-election as her Bernards Township home was moved out of the district[20] and the seat was won by
Jack Ciattarelli, a member of the Somerset County
Board of Chosen Freeholders. After Peter Biondi died two days after winning re-election, Ciattarelli was appointed to complete Biondi's unexpired term ending January 10, 2012. Biondi's seat was then vacant again until Readington Township committeewoman
Donna Simon was sworn in on January 30, 2012 [21] as an interim appointee pending a November 2012 special election where she defeated Marie Corfield by just under 1,000 votes out of 91,000 ballots cast.[22][1] Simon & Ciattarelli were both re-election but Simon was defeated in 2015 in a close race by Democrat Andrew Zwicker in 2015. Initial counts showed Simon ahead of Zwicker on the night of the election (Ciattarelli was far enough ahead in first place to be ensured victory) but following the counting of
provisional ballots, Simon conceded November 16.[23]