New Jersey's 21st legislative district is one of 40 in the New Jersey Legislature. The district includes the Morris County communities of Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, and Long Hill Township; the Somerset County municipalities of Bernardsville, Bernards Township, Green Brook, Far Hills, Peapack and Gladstone, Warren Township and Watchung; the Union County municipalities of Berkeley Heights, Garwood, Mountainside, New Providence, Springfield Township, Summit and Westfield; and the Middlesex County municipalities of Dunellen and Middlesex.Districts by Number, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 2, 2014.Municipalities (sorted by 2011 legislative district) , New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 2, 2014.

Demographic characteristics As of the 2020 United States census, the district had a population of 224,546, of whom 170,852 (76.1%) were of voting age. The racial makeup of the district was 160,014 (71.3%) White, 7,465 (3.3%) African American, 437 (0.2%) Native American, 26,753 (11.9%) Asian, 47 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 8,611 (3.8%) from some other race, and 21,219 (9.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26,156 (11.6%) of the population.

The 21st district had 189,264 registered voters as of February 1, 2025, of whom 71,731 (37.9%) were registered as unaffiliated, 61,965 (32.7%) were registered as Democrats, 54,160 (28.6%) were registered as Republicans, and 1,408 (0.7%) were registered to other parties.Statewide Voter Registration Summary, New Jersey Department of State, February 1, 2025. Accessed February 3, 2025.

The densely populated district is one of the wealthiest in the state, with the highest equalized property value and income on a per capita basis. Standardized test schools in the district's public schools were the highest of all districts statewide, and the district placed third in the percentage of 9th graders graduating from high school. Voter registration and turnout in the 21st district is among the highest in the state.District 21 Profile, Rutgers University. Accessed July 15, 2010.

Political representation

The district is located within the New Jersey's 7th, New Jersey's 10th, and New Jersey's 11th congressional districts.

Apportionment history When the 40-district legislative map was created in 1973, the 21st district was originally in eastern Union County consisting of Elizabeth, Linden, and Winfield Township plus Carteret in Middlesex County. In the 1981 redistricting, the 21st district became based out of central Union County, centered about Kenilworth and inclusive of the municipalities that border Kenilworth plus Westfield, Garwood, Roselle, and Hillside. In the next redistricting in 1991, a major change occurred to the district's boundaries: It now consisted of northern Union County from Roselle Park and Union Township, then north into the west side of Essex County from Millburn to North Caldwell and Cedar Grove.

After a single term in the Senate, Thomas G. Dunn was dropped by the Union County Democrats in 1977 and was replaced on the party line by Linden Mayor John T. Gregorio.Edge, Wally. "Retro Quote of the Day" , PolitickerNJ.com, June 12, 2007. Accessed July 17, 2010. Dunn ran as an independent and lost to Gregorio in the general election.

Edward K. Gill, elected to the Assembly in 1981 after C. Louis Bassano ran for the Senate, had announced that he would not run for a third term in the Assembly shortly before his death in February 1985.Staff. "DEATHS ELSEWHERE" , The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 11, 1985. Accessed July 18, 2010. Peter J. Genova was elected in a special election to fill Gill's vacant seat.Staff. "FIGHT FOR ASSEMBLY CONTROL TO FOCUS ON A FEW DISTRICTS", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 5, 1985. Accessed July 18, 2010. "Genova was elected earlier this year to the Assembly after the death of Assemblyman Edward Gill."

Joel Weingarten was elected to the Assembly in a November 1996 special election in which he defeated Democratic candidate Robert R. Peacock to fill the one year remaining on the vacant seat of Monroe Jay Lustbader, who had died in office in March 1996.Pristin, Terry. "NEW JERSEY DAILY BRIEFING -- LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS New Republican in Assembly", The New York Times, November 6, 1996. Accessed June 14, 2010.

Changes to the district made as part of the legislative redistricting in 2001, based on the results of the 2000 United States census removed Kenilworth and Union Township (both to the 20th legislative district) Caldwell, Essex Fells, Livingston Township, North Caldwell Township and Roseland (all to the 27th legislative district), Cedar Grove and Verona (both to the 40th legislative district) and added Berkeley Heights Township, Chatham Township, Cranford Township, Garwood, Long Hill Township, Mountainside, New Providence, Warren Township, Watchung and Westfield (from the 22nd legislative district), Harding Township (from the 25th legislative district) and Madison (from the 26th legislative district).Legislative Districts, New Jersey Legislature, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 6, 1998. Accessed July 15, 2010. The 2011 apportionment added Chatham Borough (from district 26), Bernards Township (from district 16), Far Hills (from district 16) and Kenilworth (from district 20). Removed were Chatham Township, Harding Township, Madison, and Millburn, all of which were shifted into the 27th legislative district.

A special convention of Republican Party delegates chose Nancy Munoz in May 2009 to succeed her husband, Eric Munoz, following his death in March of that year.Bechtel, Sheri. "Nancy Munoz succeeds her husband in the N.J. Assembly", The Star-Ledger, May 22, 2009. accessed July 18, 2010.

Election history Session Senate General Assembly 1974–1975 Thomas G. Dunn (D)Thomas J. Deverin (D)John T. Gregorio (D) 1976–1977 Thomas J. Deverin (D)John T. Gregorio (D) 1978–1979 John T. Gregorio (D)Thomas J. Deverin (D)Raymond Lesniak (D) 1980–1981 Thomas J. Deverin (D)Raymond Lesniak (D) 1982–1983 C. Louis Bassano (R)Edward K. Gill (R)Chuck Hardwick (R) 1984–1985 C. Louis Bassano (R)Edward K. Gill (R)Died February 9, 1985Chuck Hardwick (R)Peter J. Genova (R)Elected in March 1985 special election, sworn in on April 15, 1985 1986–1987 Peter J. Genova (R)Chuck Hardwick (R) 1988–1989 C. Louis Bassano (R)Peter J. Genova (R)Chuck Hardwick (R) 1990–1991Staff. "Vote Totals for the Elections Held on Tuesday in New York and New Jersey", The New York Times, November 9, 1989. Accessed June 23, 2010. Neil M. Cohen (D)Chuck Hardwick (R) 1992–1993 C. Louis Bassano (R) Monroe Jay Lustbader (R)Maureen Ogden (R) 1994–1995Sullivan, Joseph F. "THE 1993 ELECTIONS: New Jersey Legislature; Cut Taxes 30 Percent? Whitman's Top Statehouse Allies Say Not So Fast", The New York Times, November 4, 1993. Accessed June 23, 2010. C. Louis Bassano (R) Monroe Jay Lustbader (R)Maureen Ogden (R) 1996–1997 Monroe Jay Lustbader (R)Died March 16, 1996Kevin J. O'Toole (R) Joel Weingarten (R)Appointed to the Assembly on May 2, 1996, elected to complete unexpired term in November 1996 special election 1998–1999 C. Louis Bassano (R)Resigned April 16, 2001 to join staff of the Sports and Exposition Authority  Joel Weingarten (R)Kevin J. O'Toole (R) 2000–2001Kocieniewski, David. "THE 1999 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY; Democrats Win Seats in Three Districts, Narrowing Republicans' Majority", The New York Times, November 3, 1999. Accessed July 12, 2010. Joel Weingarten (R) Kevin J. O'Toole (R) Kevin J. O'Toole (R)Appointed to the Senate on May 5, 2001 Eric Munoz (R)Appointed to the Assembly on May 10, 2001 2002–2003Staff. "THE 2001 ELECTIONS; RESULTS -- The Races for New Jersey", The New York Times, November 8, 2001. Accessed July 12, 2010. Richard Bagger (R)Resigned January 15, 2003Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Eric Munoz (R)Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Appointed to the Senate on March 1, 2003 Jon Bramnick (R)Appointed to the Assembly on February 24, 2003 2004–2005Kocieniewski, David. "THE 2003 ELECTION: THE STATEHOUSE; Democrats Seize Senate And Widen Assembly Gap", The New York Times, November 5, 2003. Accessed June 23, 2010. Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Jon Bramnick (R)Eric Munoz (R) 2006–2007 Jon Bramnick (R)Eric Munoz (R) 2008–2009 Thomas Kean Jr. (R) Jon Bramnick (R)Eric Munoz (R)Died March 30, 2009Nancy Munoz (R)Appointed to the Assembly on May 21, 2009 2010–2011Staff. "2009 Election Results" , The New York Times, November 9, 2009. Accessed July 12, 2010. Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2012–2013 Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2014–2015 Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2016–2017 Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2018–2019 Thomas Kean Jr. (R)Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2020–2021 Jon Bramnick (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2022–2023 Jon Bramnick (R)Michele Matsikoudis (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2024–2025 Jon Bramnick (R)Michele Matsikoudis (R)Nancy Munoz (R) 2026–2027 Vincent Kearney (D)Andrew Macurdy (D)

Election results Senate

General Assembly

References