New Jersey's 13th congressional district

The district from 2003 to 2013

New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District was a congressional district and was created for the 73rd United States Congress in 1933, based on redistricting following the United States Census, 1930. It was last represented by Democrat Albio Sires when it was eliminated due to redistricting following the United States Census, 2010.

Most of the territory in this district became part of a new 8th district in 2013.

Geography

From 2003 to 2013, (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)

Demography

Before district elimination based on the last redistricting in 2013, of the district's 647,258 residents, 308,247 identified themselves as being Hispanic, accounting for 47.6% of the district's population.^[1]

2006 elections

This district was 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 into Congress on November 13, 2006.

Voting

Representatives

Representatives from the district from its creation in 1933 until its elimination in 2013 have included:

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
District Created		March 4, 1933
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		Lost reelection.
Helen Stevenson Meyner	Democratic	January 3, 1975 - January 3, 1979		Lost reelection
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 - January 3, 2013	West New York	Redistricted to the 8th district
District Eliminated		January 3, 2013

References

• 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