The 1997 New Jersey General Assembly elections were held on November 4, 1997, for all 80 seats in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. The election coincided with a gubernatorial election where Republican Christine Todd Whitman won. Republicans held a 50-30 majority in the lower house prior to the election. The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one state senator and two State Assembly members. New Jersey uses coterminous legislative districts for both its State Senate and General Assembly.
Republicans flipped one seat in the 4th. Democrats were able to flip one seat in the 6th and both in the 7th. After eight months in office, the courts threw out the results of the 1997 election in the 7th district for Democrat Jack Conners due to problems with 160 uncounted ballots from a voting machine that affected the results for the second seat. Conners was ordered to leave office in September 1998, and Republican Ken Faulkner was seated in his place.Staff. "CONNERS ORDERED TO LEAVE ASSEMBLY \ A DISPUTED ELECTION LED TO A RULING THAT A REPUBLICAN MUST TAKE HIS SEAT, SETTING STAGE FOR REMATCH WITH KEN FAULKNER.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 3, 1998. Accessed June 23, 2010. In a November 1998 special election, Conners defeated Faulkner by 5,500 votes and was sworn into office for a second time that year.via Associated Press, "DEMOCRAT REGAINS ASSEMBLY SEAT IN 'DO-OVER'RACE", The Press of Atlantic City, November 4, 1998. Accessed June 23, 2010.
Incumbents not seeking re-election Democratic Sean F. Dalton, District 4 Willie B. Brown, District 29 Alberto Coutinho, District 29
Republican Diane Allen, District 7 Carmine DeSopo, District 7 Joann H. Smith, District 13 Walter J. Kavanaugh, District 16 Anthony R. Bucco, District 25
Summary of results by district Legislative DistrictPositionIncumbent PartyElected Assembly Member Party1st1st 1 Nicholas Asselta Republican Nicholas Asselta Republican 2 John C. Gibson Republican John C. Gibson Republican2nd2nd 1 Kenneth LeFevre Republican Kenneth LeFevre Republican 2 Francis J. Blee Republican Francis J. BleeRepublican3rd3rd 1 Jack Collins Republican Jack Collins Republican 2 Gary Stuhltrager Republican Gary Stuhltrager Republican4th4th 1 Sean F. Dalton Democrat Gerald Luongo Republican 2 George Geist Republican George Geist Republican5th5th 1 Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democrat Nilsa Cruz-Perez Democrat 2 Joseph J. Roberts Democrat Joseph J. Roberts Democrat6th6th 1 Louis Greenwald Democrat Louis Greenwald Democrat 2 Mary Previte Democrat Mary Previte Democrat7th7th 1 Diane Allen Republican Herb Conaway Democrat 2 Carmine DeSopo Republican Jack Conners Democrat8th8th 1 Francis Bodine Republican Francis Bodine Republican 2 Larry Chatzidakis Republican Larry Chatzidakis Republican9th9th 1 Jeffrey Moran Republican Jeffrey Moran Republican 2 Christopher J. Connors Republican Christopher J. Connors Republican10th10th 1 James W. Holzapfel Republican James W. Holzapfel Republican 2 David W. Wolfe Republican David W. Wolfe Republican11th11th 1 Thomas S. Smith Republican Thomas S. Smith Republican 2 Steve Corodemus Republican Steve Corodemus Republican12th12th 1 Clare Farragher Republican Clare Farragher Republican 2 Michael Arnone Republican Michael Arnone Republican13th13th 1 Joann H. Smith Republican Samuel D. Thompson Republican 2 Joseph Azzolina Republican Joseph Azzolina Republican14th14th 1 Paul Kramer Republican Paul Kramer Republican 2 Barbara W. Wright Republican Barbara W. Wright Republican15th15th 1 Shirley Turner Democrat Shirley Turner Democrat 2 Reed Gusciora Democrat Reed Gusciora Democrat16th16th 1 Walter J. Kavanaugh Republican Peter Biondi Republican 2 Christopher Bateman Republican Christopher Bateman Republican17th17th 1 Bob Smith Democrat Bob Smith Democrat 2 Jerry Green Democrat Jerry Green Democrat18th18th 1 Peter Barnes Democrat Peter Barnes Democrat 2 Barbara Buono Democrat Barbara Buono Democrat19th19th 1 Arline Friscia Democrat Arline Friscia Democrat 2 John Wisniewski Democrat John Wisniewski Democrat20th20th 1 Neil M. Cohen Democrat Neil M. Cohen Democrat 2 Joseph Suliga Democrat Joseph Suliga Democrat21st21st 1 Joel Weingarten Republican Joel Weingarten Republican 2 Kevin J. O'Toole Republican Kevin J. O'Toole Republican22nd22nd 1 Richard Bagger Republican Richard Bagger Republican 2 Alan Augustine Republican Alan Augustine Republican23rd23rd 1 Leonard Lance Republican Leonard Lance Republican 2 Connie Myers Republican Connie Myers Republican24th24th 1 Guy Gregg Republican Guy Gregg Republican 2 Scott Garrett Republican Scott Garrett Republican25th25th 1 Anthony R. Bucco Republican Rick Merkt Republican 2 Michael Patrick Carroll Republican Michael Patrick Carroll Republican26th26th 1 Alex DeCroce Republican Alex DeCroce Republican 2 Carol J. Murphy Republican Carol J. Murphy Republican27th27th 1 LeRoy J. Jones Jr. Democrat LeRoy J. Jones Jr. Democrat 2 Nia Gill Democrat Nia Gill Democrat28th28th 1 Craig A. Stanley Democrat Craig A. Stanley Democrat 2 Wilfredo Caraballo Democrat Wilfredo Caraballo Democrat29th29th 1 Willie B. Brown Democrat William D. Payne Democrat 2 Alberto Coutinho Democrat Donald Kofi Tucker Democrat30th30th 1 Joseph Malone Republican Joseph Malone Republican 2 Melvin Cottrell Republican Melvin Cottrell Republican31st31st 1 Joseph Doria Democrat Joseph Doria Democrat 2 Joseph Charles Democrat Joseph Charles Democrat32nd32nd 1 Joan M. Quigley Democrat Joan Quigley Democrat 2 Anthony Impreveduto Democrat Anthony Impreveduto Democrat33rd33rd 1 Louis Romano Democrat Louis Romano Democrat 2 Raul Garcia Democrat Raul Garcia Democrat34th34th 1 Marion Crecco Republican Marion Crecco Republican 2 Gerald H. Zecker Republican Gerald H. Zecker Republican35th35th 1 Nellie Pou Democrat Nellie Pou Democrat 2 Alfred Steele Democrat Alfred Steele Democrat36th36th 1 Paul DiGaetano Republican Paul DiGaetano Republican 2 John V. Kelly Republican John V. Kelly Republican37th37th 1 Ken Zisa Democrat Ken Zisa Democrat 2 Loretta Weinberg Democrat Loretta Weinberg Democrat38th38th 1 Guy Talarico Republican Guy Talarico Republican 2 Rose Marie Heck Republican Rose Marie Heck Republican39th39th 1 Charlotte Vandervalk Republican Charlotte Vandervalk Republican 2 John E. Rooney Republican John E. Rooney Republican40th40th 1 Nicholas Felice Republican Nicholas Felice Republican 2 David C. Russo Republican David Russo Republican
Close races Districts where the difference of total votes between the top-two parties was under 10%: gain R gain
List of races District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40__NOTOC__
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
See also 1997 New Jersey Senate election
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