New Jersey's 8th legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature, covering the Burlington County municipalities of Bass River, Chesterfield Township, Eastampton Township, Evesham Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Mansfield Township, Medford Township, Medford Lakes Borough, Mount Holly Township, New Hanover, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Springfield Township, Tabernacle Township, Washington Township, Westampton Township, Woodland Township, and Wrightstown Borough; and the Atlantic County municipalities of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, Folsom, Hammonton, and Mullica.Districts by Number, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 29, 2014.

Demographic characteristics As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 221,840, of whom 175,200 (79.0%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 164,132 (74.0%) White, 22,489 (10.1%) African American, 541 (0.2%) Native American, 9,191 (4.1%) Asian, 141 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 7,333 (3.3%) from some other race, and 18,013 (8.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20,055 (9.0%) of the population.

The district had 187,411 registered voters as of February 1, 2025, of whom 66,832 (35.7%) were registered as unaffiliated, 58,966 (31.5%) were registered as Democrats, 59,477 (31.7%) were registered as Republicans, and 2,136 (1.1%) were registered to other parties.Statewide Voter Registration Summary, New Jersey Department of State, February 1, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2025.

Political representation

The legislative district overlaps with 2nd and 3rd congressional districts.

1965–1973 During the period of time after the 1964 Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims and before the establishment of a 40-district legislature in 1973, the 8th district encompassed the entirety of Somerset County. During the three Senate elections held during this period (1965, 1967, and 1971), Republicans won all three races. Incumbent Senator William E. Ozzard won reelection in 1965 for a two-year term (though he resigned on July 10, 1967), while for the next two elections, Raymond Bateman was victorious for both elections.

In the terms from 1967 until 1973, the 8th district sent two members to the General Assembly. In all elections for two-year terms, Republicans won both seats. John H. Ewing was one victor in the three regular elections (1967, 1969, 1971), while Webster B. Todd Jr. (son of Webster B. Todd, brother of Christine Todd Whitman) served one term from 1968 until 1970, Millicent Fenwick was elected in 1969 and 1971, but resigned on December 14, 1972, to become head of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, and Victor A. Rizzolo was elected in a special election on January 30, 1973, to complete her term.

District composition since 1973 When the Legislature was switched to 40 equal-population districts statewide, the 8th district created for the 1973 elections was an uncompact district in Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth, and Mercer counties. With the Keith line as a center spine, the district had branches to Medford Township, Manchester Township, Florence Township, Roosevelt, East Windsor Township, and Lawrence Township. In the 1980s, the 8th became inclusive of most of Burlington County stretching from Washington Township north to Bordentown. Following the 1990 census, the district expanded out of Burlington County to Camden County (Winslow Township, Waterford Township, and Chesilhurst) and Atlantic County (Hammonton and Folsom) with the Burlington County portion including suburban townships of Medford, Evesham, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, and Southampton. The 2001 redistricting returned the district to being Burlington only again keeping it through the center of the county. The 2011 reapportionment brought Hammonton into the district while the 2021 reapportionment brought in more Atlantic County municipalities and removed all Camden County municipalities. In 2023, Democrats won one assembly seat thereby marking the first time they won a seat through an election since 1973.

Election history Session Senate General Assembly 1974–1975 Barry T. Parker (R)John A. Sweeney (D)Clifford W. Snedeker (R) 1976–1977 Jim Saxton (R)Clifford W. Snedeker (R) 1978–1979 Barry T. Parker (R)Jim Saxton (R)Clifford W. Snedeker (R) 1980–1981 Jim Saxton (R)Clifford W. Snedeker (R) 1982–1983 Jim Saxton (R)C. William Haines (R)Robert J. Meyer (R)1984–1985 Jim Saxton (R)Elected to and seated in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 1984  C. William Haines (R)Robert J. Meyer (R)Died July 14, 1984Harold L. Colburn Jr. (R)Elected in September 11, 1984 special electionC. William Haines (R)Elected to Senate in a December 27, 1984 special election, seated on January 8, 1985Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Elected on February 19, 1985 special election 1986–1987 Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Harold L. Colburn Jr. (R) 1988–1989 C. William Haines (R)Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Harold L. Colburn Jr. (R) 1990–1991 Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Harold L. Colburn Jr. (R) 1992–1993 C. William Haines (R)Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Harold L. Colburn Jr. (R)1994–1995 C. William Haines (R)Died December 18, 1996Robert C. Shinn Jr. (R)Resigned February 8, 1994 to become New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection CommissionerHarold L. Colburn Jr. (R)Resigned on March 1, 1995 to become head of State Medical Examiner Board Francis L. Bodine (R)Appointed to the Assembly on February 28, 1994, elected in November 1994 special election to complete term Martha W. Bark (R)Appointed to Assembly on March 13, 19951996–1997 Francis L. Bodine (R)Martha W. Bark (R)Appointed to Senate on January 14, 1997Martha W. Bark (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R)Appointed to Assembly on January 14, 1997 1998–1999 Martha W. Bark (R)Francis L. Bodine (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R) 2000–2001 Francis L. Bodine (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R) 2002–2003 Martha W. Bark (R)Francis L. Bodine (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R) 2004–2005 Martha W. Bark (R)Francis L. Bodine (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R)2006–2007 Francis L. Bodine (R)Larry Chatzidakis (R)Francis L. Bodine (D)Switched parties on April 5, 2007 2008–2009 Phil Haines (R)Appointed to be a judge on the New Jersey Superior Court, October 18, 2010Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Scott Rudder (R)2010–2011 Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Appointed to the Senate on November 22, 2010Scott Rudder (R)Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Pat Delany (R)Appointed to the Assembly on December 13, 2010; resigned August 12, 2011Gerry Nardello (R)Appointed to the Assembly on November 21, 2011 2012–2013 Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Christopher J. Brown (R)Scott Rudder (R) 2014–2015 Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Christopher J. Brown (R)Maria Rodriguez-Gregg (R) 2016–2017 Joe Howarth (R)Maria Rodriguez-Gregg (R)2018–2019 Dawn Marie Addiego (R)Joe Howarth (R)Ryan Peters (R)Dawn Marie Addiego (D)Switched parties on January 28, 2019 2020–2021 Jean Stanfield (R)Ryan Peters (R) 2022–2023 Jean Stanfield (R)Michael Torrissi (R) Brandon Umba (R) 2024–2025 Latham Tiver (R)Michael Torrissi (R) Andrea Katz (D) 2026-2027 Anthony Angelozzi (D)Andrea Katz (D)

Election results, 1973–present Senate

General Assembly

Election results, 1965–1973 Senate

General Assembly

References