New Jersey's 12th congressional district is represented by Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman, who has served in Congress since 2015. The district is known for its research centers and educational institutions such as Princeton University, The College of New Jersey, Institute for Advanced Study, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The district is primarily suburban in character, covering portions of Mercer, Somerset, Union, and Middlesex counties, although the district contains the state capital of Trenton as well as the smaller city of Plainfield.

History The 12th congressional district (together with the 11th district) was created starting with the 63rd United States Congress in 1913, based on redistricting following the 1910 United States census. In 1925, Mary Teresa Norton was elected to the district and became the first female Democrat in the United States Congress.

Historically, the 12th and its predecessors had been a swing district. However, redistricting following the 2000 United States census gave the district a somewhat bluer hue than its predecessor. It absorbed most of Trenton, along with a number of other municipalities. Since then, the 12th has become a Democratic-leaning district, as measured by the Cook PVI.

The redistricting made second-term Democrat Rush D. Holt Jr. considerably more secure; he had narrowly defeated freshman Republican Michael Pappas in 1998, and had only held on to his seat against Dick Zimmer who represented the district from 1991 to 1997, by 651 votes in 2000. In 2002, despite an expensive challenge from former New Jersey Secretary of State Buster Soaries, Holt was re-elected with 61% of the vote.

The district became even more Democratic after redistricting following the 2010 census, as it lost its share of Republican-leaning Hunterdon County and Monmouth County, while being pushed further into strongly Democratic Middlesex County and gaining the overwhelmingly Democratic Union County town of Plainfield, as well as the portion of Trenton that it had not absorbed in the previous redistricting. Holt retired in 2014 and was succeeded by State Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman, making her the first African-American woman elected to Congress from New Jersey.

Counties and municipalities in the district For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of four counties and 32 municipalities., New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2021. Accessed January 8, 2023.

Mercer County (7) Ewing Township, Hopewell, Hopewell Township, Pennington, Princeton, Trenton, West Windsor

Middlesex County (14) Cranbury, Dunellen, East Brunswick, Helmetta, Jamesburg, Middlesex, Milltown, Monroe Township, North Brunswick, Old Bridge Township (part, also 6th; includes Brownville and Old Bridge CDP), Plainsboro Township, South Brunswick, South River, Spotswood

Somerset County (10) Bound Brook, Bridgewater Township (part, also in 7th), Hillsborough Township (part, also 7th; includes Blackwells Mills, Hillsborough CDP, and part of Belle Mead and Flagtown), Franklin Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, North Plainfield, Rocky Hill, South Bound Brook

Union County (1) Plainfield

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 65% - 34%2012 PresidentObama 66% - 34%2016 PresidentClinton 64% - 33%2017 GovernorMurphy 61% - 36%2018 SenateMenendez 62% - 35%2020 PresidentBiden 67% - 32% SenateBooker 65% - 33%2021 GovernorMurphy 61% - 38%2024 PresidentHarris 61% - 37% SenateKim 62% - 35%2025 GovernorSherrill 67% - 32%

List of members representing the district Member Party Years Congress Electoral history Counties/Towns District established March 4, 1913 James A. Hamill Democratic March 4, 1913 –March 3, 1921 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Retired. 1913–1933Parts of Jersey City Charles F. X. O'Brien Democratic March 4, 1921 –March 3, 1925 Elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Retired to become registrar of records of Hudson County. Mary Teresa Norton Democratic March 4, 1925 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Redistricted to the . Frederick R. Lehlbach Republican March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1937 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932.Re-elected in 1934.Lost re-election. 1933–1967Parts of Essex Frank William Towey Jr. Democratic January 3, 1937 –January 3, 1939 Elected in 1936.Lost re-election. Robert Kean Republican January 3, 1939 –January 3, 1959 Elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Retired to run for U.S. senator. George M. Wallhauser Republican January 3, 1959 –January 3, 1965 Elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Retired. Paul J. Krebs Democratic January 3, 1965 –January 3, 1967 Elected in 1964.Retired. Florence P. Dwyer Republican January 3, 1967 –January 3, 1973 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Retired. 1967–1973Parts of Essex and Union Matthew John Rinaldo Republican January 3, 1973 –January 3, 1983 Elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Redistricted to the . 1973–1983Parts of Union Jim Courter Republican January 3, 1983 –January 3, 1991 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Retired. 1983–1985Parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren 1985–1993Hunterdon and parts of Mercer (Princeton and West Windsor),Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren Dick Zimmer Republican January 3, 1991 –January 3, 1997 Elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Re-elected in 1994.Retired to run for U.S. senator. 1993–2003Parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset Mike Pappas Republican January 3, 1997 –January 3, 1999 Elected in 1996.Lost re-election. Rush D. Holt Jr. Democratic January 3, 1999 –January 3, 2015 Elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Retired. 2003–2013 Parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset 2013–2023Mercer (except Hamilton and Robbinsville), Middlesex (Cranbury, Dunellen, East Brunswick, Helmetta, Jamesburg, Middlesex, Milltown, Monroe, North Brunswick, Plainsboro, South Brunswick, South River, and Spotswood), Somerset (Bound Brook, Franklin Township, Manville and South Bound Brook), and Union (Fanwood, Plainfield, and part of Scotch Plains) Bonnie Watson Coleman Democratic January 3, 2015 –present Elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024. Retiring at the end of term. 2023–present:Parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union (Plainfield)

Recent election results

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

References

Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present