New Jersey's 11th Congressional District election, 2018

Elections in New Jersey, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
• Early voting: Sept. 22 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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2020 → ← 2016
New Jersey's 11th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 2, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Rodney Frelinghuysen (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in New Jersey
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): R+3 Cook Political Report: Lean Democratic Inside Elections: Lean Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
New Jersey's 11th Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th New Jersey elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSenden

Mikie Sherrill (D) defeated Jay Webber (R), Ryan Martinez (L), and Robert Crook (I) in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent New Jersey's 11th Congressional District.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Incumbent Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who had represented the district since he was first elected in 1994, announced on January 29, 2018, that he would not seek re-election in 2018, leaving the seat open. Frelinghuysen was re-elected in 2016 by a margin of 19 percentage points, while Donald Trump (R) won the district by less than one percentage point. In 2012 and 2008, Republican presidential nominees Mitt Romney (R) and John McCain (R) each won by 5 percentage points.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 11

Mikie Sherrill defeated Jay Webber, Robert Crook, and Ryan Martinez in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 11 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mikie Sherrill (D)	56.8	183,684
		Jay Webber (R)	42.1	136,322
		Robert Crook (Honesty, Integrity, Compassion Party)	0.7	2,182
		Ryan Martinez (L)	0.4	1,386

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 323,574 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 11

Mikie Sherrill defeated Tamara Harris, Mark Washburne, Alison Heslin, and Mitchell Cobert in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 11 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mikie Sherrill	77.4	35,338
		Tamara Harris	14.5	6,615
		Mark Washburne	3.4	1,538
		Alison Heslin	2.7	1,253
		Mitchell Cobert	1.9	885

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 45,629
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jack Gebbia (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 11

Jay Webber defeated Peter de Neufville, Antony Ghee, Patrick Allocco, and Martin Hewitt in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 11 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jay Webber	40.0	16,417
		Peter de Neufville	30.5	12,487
		Antony Ghee	21.9	8,991
		Patrick Allocco	4.1	1,680
		Martin Hewitt	3.5	1,428

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 41,003
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Mikie Sherrill, former Assistant U.S. Attorney

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Sherrill graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 and served in the U.S. Navy for nine years as a lieutenant. In 2003, she obtained a master's degree in global history from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She received a law degree from Georgetown Law in 2007 and worked for three years in private practice with the firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. In 2012, Sherrill joined the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of New Jersey as outreach and reentry coordinator. In 2015, she was named Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and served in that role for one year.

Key messages

• Sherrill said that she would focus on reducing the cost of college tuition, home payments, and healthcare as well as preserving Social Security and Medicare, saying that "Too many people in New Jersey are concerned about their future."

• Sherrill said that while she was in the Navy "I never asked if someone was a Republican or a Democrat before starting a mission. I knew we were all Americans and we all had the same mission." She cited the 2017 tax law, efforts to repeal Obamacare, and the lack of an infrastructure plan as examples of times when "leaders in Congress refuse to work for New Jersey to address these concerns."

• Sherrill said that Webber had a "record of voting against New Jersey women and families" in the state assembly, citing his votes on bills relating to abortion, gender-based pay regulations, and gay marriage.

Jay Webber, state assemblyman

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: New Jersey State Assembly (Assumed office: 2008)

Biography: Webber graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in international relations in 1994. He received a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2000. After a one-year clerkship for New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero, Webber joined the law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. In 2008, Webber established his own law practice in Morristown. Webber was chairman of the Republican Party of New Jersey between 2009 and 2011. He founded the law firm of Webber McGill LLC in 2011.

Key messages

• Webber said that his run was inspired by Ronald Reagan, and that he was running to fight for "smaller government, border security, liberty. And I won't back down until it's morning again."

• Webber said that Democrats had identified the 11th as a must-win district, adding, "They're not holding anything back and they'll do and say anything to win." Webber said that Sherrill had made inaccurate comments on his positions on the 2017 tax bill, gender-based pay regulations, and firearms regulations regarding persons convicted of domestic violence.

• Webber said that Sherrill had made inaccurate or misleading statements on her own policy positions on tax policy, firearms regulations, and the abolition of ICE. A Webber campaign spokeswoman described her as "a hard-left culture warrior who tries to hide her extremism in slick TV ads and campaign smears of her opponent."

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

New Jersey's 11th Congressional District
Poll	Poll sponsor	Sherrill (D)	Webber (R)	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size
Siena College/New York Times Upshot (October 13-17, 2018)	K.A.	49%	38%	13%	+/-4.6	487
Monmouth University (October 3-7, 2018)	K.A.	48%	44%	7%	+/-5.2	356
National Research (September 24-27, 2018)	The Webber campaign	46%	43%	11%	+/-4.9	400
Monmouth University (June 22-25, 2018)	K.A.	44%	40%	16%	+/-5.3	339
AVERAGES		46.75%	41.25%	11.75%	+/-5	395.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

Click [show] to view polls conducted before the June 5 primaries.

New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, Mikie Sherrill vs. generic Republican (hypothetical matchup) Poll Mikie Sherrill (D) Generic Republican Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size Public Policy Polling (February 12-13, 2018) 40% 42% 18% +/-3.7 688 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Mikie Sherrill	Democratic Party	$8,610,282	$8,168,084	$445,120	As of December 31, 2018
Jay Webber	Republican Party	$1,669,132	$1,646,821	$22,311	As of December 31, 2018
Robert Crook	Honesty, Integrity, Compassion Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Ryan Martinez	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• House Majority PAC spent $150,000 on ads opposed to Webber.

• Independence USA PAC
  • The group reported spending $1.87 million on a television ad campaign supporting Sherrill on October 26, 2018.
  • The group reported spending $340,067.92 on an Internet ad campaign supporting Sherrill on October 5, 2018.

• Stronger Foundations, Inc. spent $100,000 in opposition to Webber.

• With Honor Fund spent just over $220,000 on ads supporting Sherrill.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: New Jersey's 11th Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Lean Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+3, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made New Jersey's 11th Congressional District the 209th most Republican nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.07. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.07 points toward that party.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement	Sherrill (D)	Webber (R)
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)	✔

Click [show] to view endorsements in the June 5 Democratic primary

Democratic candidate endorsements Endorsement Date Cobert Harris Heslin Sherrill Washburne National figures Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) April 3, 2018 ✔ State figures State Sen. and former Gov. Richard Codey (D) December 5, 2017 ✔ Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D) December 5, 2017 ✔ Local figures Former Morristown Councilman Dick Tighe May 15, 2018 ✔ Democratic Party of Essex County Chairman LeRoy Jones January 17, 2018 ✔ Democratic Party of Morris County Chairman Chip Robinson January 17, 2018 ✔ Democratic Party of Sussex County Chairman Leslie Huhn January 17, 2018 ✔ Democratic Party of Passaic County Chairman John Currie January 17, 2018 ✔ Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano (D) December 12, 2017 ✔ Parsippany Councilwoman Janice McCarthy December 12, 2017 ✔ Parsippany Councilwoman Emily Peterson December 12, 2017 ✔ Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark (D) October 4, 2017 ✔ Organizations Social Workers PAC May 23, 2018 ✔ The Observer-Tribune May 23, 2018 ✔ Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters May 12, 2018 ✔ Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee May 11, 2018 ✔ Chatham Moms for Change April 25, 2018 ✔ Democratic Party of Sussex County March 27, 2018 ✔ End Citizens United November 9, 2017 ✔

Timeline

• October 26, 2018: Independence USA PAC reported spending $1.87 million on a television ad campaign supporting Sherrill.
• October 17, 2018: A Siena College/New York Times Upshot poll found Sherrill leading Webber 49-38. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.
• October 17, 2018: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) made a campaign appearance alongsider Webber in Hanover.
• October 9, 2018: A Monmouth University poll found Sherrill about even with Webber, with 48 percent support to Webber's 44 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 5.2 percentage points.
• October 5, 2018: Independence USA PAC reported spending $340,000 on an ad campaign supporting Sherrill.
• October 1, 2018: A National Research poll commissioned by the Webber campaign found Sherrill apparently leading Webber, with 46 percent support to Webber's 43 percent. The poll reported a 4.9 percent margin of error.
• September 25, 2018: With Honor Fund reported spending $220,000 on ads supporting Sherrill.
• September 18, 2018: The Sherrill campaign released an ad titled Jay Webber's Agenda.
• September 14, 2018: The Webber campaign released an ad titled Medicare.

Campaign advertisements

Mikie Sherrill

Support

"Navy" - Sherrill campaign ad, released August 7, 2018

Oppose

"Mikie Sherrill, A Pelosi Democrat" - Sherrill campaign ad, released October 2, 2018

Jay Webber

Support

"Medicare" - Webber campaign ad, released September 14, 2018

Webber campaign ad, released August 28, 2018

"Morning" - Webber campaign ad, released May 8, 2018

Oppose

"Barbaric" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 11, 2018

"Evolved Caveman" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 9, 2018

"Jay Webber's Agenda" - Sherrill campaign ad, released September 18, 2018

Noteworthy events

Paul Ryan campaign appearance

On October 17, 2018, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) made a campaign appearance alongside Webber in Hanover.

Joe Biden campaign appearance

On September 5, 2018, former Vice President Joe Biden (D) made a campaign appearance alongside Sherrill.

Mike Pence campaign appearance

On August 10, 2018, Vice President Mike Pence (R) made a campaign appearance alongside Webber:

Great campaigning with @JayWebberNJ, the next congressman from #NJ11! We stopped by Florham Park Diner to visit with the hardworking staff and patrons. Thanks for your hospitality! VOTE for Jay Webber in November! Mike Pence (@mike_pence) August 10, 2018

NRCC adds Webber to Young Guns

On June 29, 2018, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced that it was adding Jay Webber (R) to its Young Guns list. Although placement on the list was not an endorsement, candidates on the Young Guns list receive organizational and financial support from the committee.

Debates and forums

• Sherrill and Webber met for a debate in Newark hosted by NJTV on October 11, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Mikie Sherrill

Sherrill's campaign website stated the following:

"	Jobs and Economy New Jersey has always been a hotbed of innovation. We have more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the United States. We’ve gotten here with hard work and smart investments in our community, and we’re poised to lead in the years to come. But reaching our potential will require renewed dedication and forward-thinking ideas, because the truth is that our recovery from the recession has not kept pace with the rest of the country. We are losing middle-class jobs, and wages are not keeping up with our high cost of living. In order to create more good-paying jobs and maintain the quality of life we have worked so hard for, Congress needs to start working for us. The health of our economy cannot be a partisan issue. Working across party lines, we need to: Build on our economic strengths. We are leaders in healthcare, biotechnology, and medical research, with the most talented workforce in the world. We need to leverage our highly-educated workforce to attract the next generation of technology and clean energy jobs to New Jersey. We already have a strong foundation with 600 solar jobs in our community, as well as state of the art medical facilities like Morristown Memorial Hospital – let’s build on it. Pass a tax plan that supports the middle class. That’s the only way we will be able to provide meaningful tax relief for New Jersey’s middle-class families. We only receive 74 cents back for every $1 we send to Washington in federal taxes – less than any other state. We already do more than our fair share. The federal tax bill targets us even further, with NJ affected worse than any other state in the nation. Congress must work on real tax relief to help the people of New Jersey, and I will fight to bring back our full deduction for state and local taxes. Promote fiscal responsibility. Congress’ tax plan added $1.9 trillion dollars to our deficit. This massive increase in debt has the potential to drag on our economy and places a heavy burden on our children. And our representatives in Congress openly talk about using the massive deficit they’ve created to slash Social Security and Medicare. We need our leaders in Congress to come together to pass fiscally responsible policies that grow the economy without growing our debt. Rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. For more than two decades, we’ve waited for the construction of a new rail tunnel to New York. The Northeast produces 20 percent of our nation’s GDP, and moving this project forward will help our national economy by creating jobs, attracting businesses, and making our workers more productive by cutting commuting times. Economically sabotaging our economy is bad for New Jersey and bad for the country. The federal government must honor its agreement and commit to funding its share of the Gateway project. Control the Cost of Healthcare. We need to stabilize the healthcare marketplace and work to keep costs down on prescription drugs to help our families keep more money in their pockets. Congress had more than seven years to come up with a plan to make sure cost-sharing reductions were funded. Instead of proposing solutions to fix the system, they are working to sabotage the healthcare marketplace to score political points. Invest in education and job training. A good job comes from a good education, and good schools attract new businesses. I want to work with parents and our local schools to invest in science, technology, engineering, math, and civics. I want to help our great universities like Montclair State, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Drew University, and the community colleges in Essex, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties partner with local employers to provide a direct path to high-skill jobs for recent graduates so we don’t lose our talent to other states. For those who do not plan to go to college, we should provide apprenticeships and job training opportunities that lead directly to a job. Finally, we need to do much more to make college affordable to everyone who has the talent and work ethic to thrive. The education cuts pushed by Congress either mean less funding for our local schools or increases in property taxes. Both hurt our economy, our students, and the ability of our children to compete for good jobs in the future. Healthcare I believe deeply that every American should have access to quality and affordable healthcare. Leadership in Congress wanted to take our country backwards, pushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act in favor of a bill that took away coverage and increases costs for almost everyone. Under their plan, an “age tax” on Americans over 50 would have allowed insurance companies to charge them premiums that are five times higher than what others pay for health coverage. The plan also eliminated protections for the 300,000 people in our district with pre-existing conditions. When reviewing the repeal bill, the American Medical Association concluded that “Americans with pre-existing conditions will be stuck in second-class health care coverage – if they are able to obtain coverage at all.” In all, Congress’ repeal plan would have resulted in more than 469,000 New Jerseyans losing their coverage, including 27,000 in our district. We can do more to bring down costs and make sure all Americans have access to affordable healthcare coverage. First, we need to stabilize the healthcare marketplace. Congress had more than seven years to come up with a plan to make sure cost-sharing reductions were funded. Instead of proposing solutions to fix the system, they are working to sabotage the healthcare marketplace to score political points. Second, we need to make sure we protect the hard-won gains in our healthcare system. This includes protections for pre-existing conditions and the ten essential health benefits, as well as the ability of our children to stay on their parent’s insurance until they turn 26. And finally, we need to roll up our sleeves and start fixing our healthcare system. Let’s allow Medicare to leverage its buying power to negotiate lower drug prices – it works for the VA and it will help bring down costs for our seniors. And instead of the age tax, let’s find a fiscally responsible way to allow certain individuals older than 55 the option of buying into Medicare. It is time for Washington to stop playing politics with our healthcare. Tax Relief Here in New Jersey, I think we can all agree we pay a lot in taxes. But the real question is: what are we getting in return? Right now, the answer is not much. New Jersey sends $3,478 more per person to Washington in tax dollars than we get back in investment in our communities. Instead of passing tax relief to help grow our economy and ease the tax burden on New Jersey’s middle-class families, Congress raised our taxes. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country, and our residents depend on the ability to deduct our state and local taxes (SALT) from their federal tax burden. The average state and local tax deduction in our district is more than $20,000 dollars – twice the cap that Congress placed on the deduction with the tax bill. The cap on SALT amounts to a double taxation on the people of New Jersey who already send more and get less back from the federal government than any other state in the nation. This tax bill also threatens our long-term economic growth and places an undue burden on our children by adding $1.9 trillion to our national deficit. And now, Congress wants to use the increase in the deficit they created to come after Social Security and Medicare. Our tax system should treat people in New Jersey fairly. I am committed to real tax relief that that invests in growth, simplifies our tax code, ensures work is valued the same as wealth, maintains our revenues and protect our middle class. And mostly importantly, a tax bill that restores our full state and local tax deductions. I will work to find a truly bipartisan tax plan that strengthens our middle class and ensures New Jersey and the 11th district get a fair return on our federal tax dollars. Women's Rights I am pro-choice. A woman’s health decisions should be between her and her doctor. The federal government should have no say on when, how, or with whom women decide to start or grow a family. Congressional leaders see things differently. They are leading an all-out assault on women’s healthcare, working to restrict access to reproductive freedom. In New Jersey, we know first-hand the devastating impact of Governor Christie’s cuts to women’s health care. From 2009 to 2012 there was a 31 percent drop in clinical breast exams provided at Title X health centers. By 2015, rates of sexually transmitted infections increased 35 percent. We can’t allow Congress to jeopardize women’s health care. In Congress, I will be a forceful voice against efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, restrict access to birth control, and efforts to limit a woman’s access to safe family planning services. I strongly support equal pay for equal work. Women in New Jersey make on average 82 cents for every dollar that men make for doing the same job. That drops to 58 cents for African-American women and 43 cents for Latinx women. With so much on the line in Washington including the tax increases from the federal tax bill, equal pay is an issue of economic fairness for all our families. Education Access to quality education and support for our educators need to be top priorities, period. A good job comes from a good education, good employers are attracted to strong schools and a talented workforce, and every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. New Jersey has the second best public school system in the country. Our towns are home to great universities and community colleges like Drew University, Montclair State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Sussex County Community College, Passaic County Community College, and Essex County College. We proudly invest in our students and teachers. But in Washington, Congress is supporting Betsy DeVos by voting to cut funding for teacher training and public schools by $2.4 billion. These cuts threaten the quality of our schools and our communities can’t afford to raise property taxes. As the parent of four public school students, I will work to protect funding for our public schools. Although my kids are still a few years away from filling out their college applications, like so many families in New Jersey, I’m already worrying about tuition. We need to make college more affordable so that it is within reach of any young person who’s willing to work hard for it. Students should be able to borrow from the federal government at the same rate big banks do, and we should allow students to refinance their debt when interest rates go down. We also need to make it easier for students who want to complete their courses faster, so they can save on tuition and enter the workforce more quickly. Finally, we need to do much more to support two-year and vocational programs that lead directly to a job upon graduation. This type of training can move people from low-skilled jobs that don’t offer a future to those jobs that move families into the middle class and provide a career. Tackling Addiction and the Opioid Crisis The growing opioid epidemic in New Jersey is one of the most serious public health crises facing our communities. This epidemic is destroying lives and devastating families and communities. In 2016, New Jersey lost 1,901 of our neighbors to the opioid epidemic. And since 2014, New Jersey’s death rate from opioid overdose has increased by 16.4 percent. As a former federal prosecutor, I know first-hand the toll that addiction can take on our communities. That’s why we need to address this public health crisis in the most comprehensive way possible. Solutions won’t be easy, but there are some smart things we can do – like expanding access to drug treatment facilities, establishing a seven-day limit on initial opiate prescriptions, and lowering the cost of Narcan. Ending the opioid epidemic and fighting the abuse of prescription drugs will require leaders from government, law enforcement, medicine, and our communities to work together to find solutions. In Congress, I will do everything I can to find meaningful solutions to this crisis. National Security As a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, I’ve spent my adult life fighting to keep our country safe. I am proud of the role our community plays in our national defense. I’ll always fight for Picatinny Arsenal and the 5,000 critical jobs it supports right here in Morris County. As a Russian policy officer in the U.S. Navy, I worked to implement our nuclear treaty obligations and joint naval exercises with the Russian Federation. I have sat across the table from the Russians, and know that we need our government to take the threat they pose seriously. That means more funding for cybersecurity and election protection. I also know first-hand that the most important tool in our national security toolbox is diplomacy. I support a fully-staffed State Department to carry out the hard, necessary work of strategic diplomacy. The cuts to the State Department prevent us from dealing with developing international crises, strengthening partnerships, or applying pressure to bad actors. We must work hard to contain threats posed by North Korea and Iran. Iran’s despicable human rights record, ballistic missile program, and support for terrorist groups destabilize the Middle East and threaten the security of Israel. However, we cannot monitor Iran’s nuclear program or improve upon the nuclear agreement without a seat at the table. We should also engage in diplomacy with North Korea, but approach the situation with clear eyes. North Korea has broken promises to denuclearize in the past, and unless we extract real concessions, their nuclear program presents a threat. For that reason I support a robust military presence in the region and a comprehensive missile defense program to defend America, our allies, and our troops abroad. Furthermore, we cannot let up on our fight against ISIS. We must remain vigilant in cutting off ISIS propaganda and recruitment over social media in the United States. And our state and local law enforcement agencies need better resources, training, and coordination to fight domestic terrorism. When it comes to meeting these challenges, we cannot go it alone. Our allies need to share in the funding of these priorities. The only way the United States will be able to face these challenges is through strengthening our relationships with our traditional allies. This must include Israel. Our partnership with Israel is instrumental to global security and has helped pioneer incredible discoveries that have changed the face of technology, homeland security, medicine, clean energy, and agriculture. In Congress I will work to ensure that our long-standing relationship with Israel remains strong. Preventing Gun Violence As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact illegal guns are having in our communities. We need to do much more to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of violent criminals, domestic abusers, and terrorists. We can do this while protecting the Second Amendment and the rights of responsible gun owners. I support universal criminal background checks to cover all firearm sales. We need to stop criminals and dangerously mentally ill people from buying firearms at gun shows, over the internet, or through classified ads. While New Jersey has led the way with an assault weapons ban and large capacity magazine limits, it is still possible for a criminal to purchase these deadly weapons across state lines. For this reason, I support a federal assault weapons ban and limits on large capacity magazines. Weapons of war designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible do not belong on our streets. And Congress also needs to ban bump-stocks, which allow individuals to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons. Finally, I support two common-sense measures to make our communities safer: suspected terrorists on the No-Fly list should not be allowed to purchase a firearm, and domestic abusers with temporary restraining orders filed against them must not be able to purchase a gun. In Congress, I will work to save lives and help find responsible solutions America’s gun violence crisis. Social Security and Medicare Social Security and Medicare are promises to the American people. They are guarantees of a dignified and secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work. Seniors have paid into these initiatives with every paycheck, and we must honor these earned benefits. In Congress, I will make sure that Social Security and Medicare are protected. The tax hike bill not only added $1.9 trillion to the national deficit, but Congress has made it clear they plan to cut Social Security and Medicare to deal with this manufactured crisis. I will oppose any budget that proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare to pay for the fiscally irresponsible tax plan and I’ll also oppose all efforts to privatize Social Security and Medicare. These plans would benefit insurance companies and investment firms while cutting benefits for New Jersey seniors. We can take meaningful steps in the near term to improve Medicare and lower costs. I support allowing Medicare to leverage its buying power to negotiate drug prices. As a veteran, I know this works for the VA, and can help bring down costs for our seniors. Congress should also examine how we can allow certain individuals older than 55 to buy into Medicare. Veterans I am proud to have served in the Navy with countless Americans who served with honor and distinction. Our service members deserve access to educational opportunities, employment, first-class healthcare and rehabilitation, and should not have to travel hours to reach a VA facility. But Washington has come up short on its promises to care for our veterans, sometimes because Congress didn’t provide enough money, and sometimes because Congress did not provide enough oversight. Regardless, Washington must do better. I won’t stand by and let folks in Washington fail our veterans or try and dismantle the VA. I will fight to fix the VA and make sure that the 400,000 veterans in New Jersey receive the best care possible. We need to commit to improvement of the care administered by the VA, including upgrading IT systems, expanding telehealth services, and improving healthcare access for our female veterans. In Congress, I will make sure veterans in our community have top-notch constituent services to help navigate the federal benefit systems. This includes supporting the Morristown Outpatient Clinic and the Bloomfield Vet Center, as well as the East Orange and Lyons VA Campuses. People Before Politics In Congress, I will make sure the people of New Jersey come first. We need leaders who are ready to ensure the people they represent have a direct say on what happens in Washington. Here in New Jersey, we know first-hand what it’s like when power goes unchecked. Bridges are shut down, needed infrastructure projects are cancelled, taxes are raised, and the people who are hurt the most are ordinary citizens. Reduce the influence of money in politics. In Congress, I’ll support campaign finance reform and measures that work to overturn Citizens United. Support workers. Unions helped build our middle class, and I will stand against efforts to curb collective bargaining rights. Address Gerrymandering. Partisan redistricting has drawn ruby red and bright blue districts. This prevents us from finding common sense proposals that the majority of Americans support. Protect Voting Rights. Voting is the bedrock of our democracy, and we need to make it easier, not harder, for U.S. citizens to cast a ballot. Ways to do this would be to expand early voting, mail in ballots, or no-excuse absentee voting. Defend Civil Rights. As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, I am committed to our Constitution. The freedoms outlined in the Constitution are essential for a healthy democracy. I oppose discrimination of all kinds, including based on sex, religion, race, disability, or sexual orientation. New Leadership. New leadership starts at the top. It is time for fresh ideas to break the cycle of partisanship that has blocked Congress from passing legislation to move our country forward. I’m glad to see that Paul Ryan will not be running for re-election, and I will not be supporting Nancy Pelosi for leadership. It’s time for a new generation of leaders to guide Congress. Accountability. In Congress, I’ll be committed to transparency and comporting to the highest ethical standards, and that’s why I will make my congressional schedule public and hold town hall meetings. Environment Climate change is real and addressing it shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s an economic and national security issue that affects all of us. With 130 miles of coastline, New Jersey will pay a terrible price if we don’t take meaningful action to end our reliance on foreign fuels and transition to a clean energy economy. The residents of our community are strong supporters of the environment and it has long been an issue where we’ve come together in bipartisan agreement. From Superfund clean up to protecting the Great Swamp and Lake Hopatcong, our residents demand that our leaders be good stewards of our air, water, and land. But instead of leading New Jersey forward, Congress is putting us further at risk – feeding us a false choice between creating jobs, fighting climate change, and keeping our air and water clean. They have rolled-back dozens of environmental protections that safeguard our drinking water, preserve our air quality, and keep our kids healthy. Alternative energy sources like wind and solar can transform New Jersey’s energy sector, particularly in a state like New Jersey without a native fossil fuel industry. Here in New Jersey’s 11th District, we already have 600 solar jobs. In Congress I want to find partners to grow our clean energy economy and promote investment in innovation. The East Coast has the best offshore wind conditions in the world, and the costs associated with developing offshore wind continue to drop. In fact, McKinsey reported last year that they expect a 68 percent drop in offshore wind costs by 2020. I join the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in its opposition to the unnecessary risk posed by offshore drilling. In Congress, I will continue to uphold our community’s commitment to our planet and grow our clean energy economy.	”
—Mikie Sherrill for Congress

Jay Webber

Webber's campaign website stated the following:

"	Jobs, Economic Prosperity, and Tax Relief Jay Webber earned the award of Guardian of Small Business from the National Federation of Independent Businesses–New Jersey, for having worked effectively to protect and preserve the future of free enterprise and small business. In starting a small business and working to create good-paying jobs in our local economy, I know first-hand what it takes to build from the ground up. I also have learned the negative effect that overbearing government bureaucracy and policies can have on our economic growth. Every New Jerseyan knows government taxes us too much. Our citizens should get to keep much more of the money they have earned – through hard work, sacrifice, innovation, saving, and prudent investment. Government should respect labor and honest earnings, not view them as opportunities for confiscation. Sir Winston Churchill was right when he said, “for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and try to lift himself up by the handle.” It cannot be done. Cutting taxes and providing permanent tax relief for all of our citizens should be among our highest priorities. We know that whether under Democratic President John F. Kennedy or Republican President Ronald Reagan, broad-based tax cuts result in greater economic growth, more jobs, and higher wages. In short, the more the government gets out of our pockets, the more our opportunities and freedoms expand. We also should focus on removing the bureaucratic and government-created obstacles to economic prosperity and job creation. Prosperity originates from the innovation and entrepreneurship of the American people, not from the bureaucratic dictates of government agencies. Immigration “Our country is held together by a shared set of values and should be open to those who will commit to upholding them. Those values we hold dear include respect for the rule of law and protecting our nation from those who do not share that respect. We can work together to make sure that our nation of immigrants continues to be a welcoming place, even as we uphold our laws and ensure fairness for all Americans.” – Jay Webber Secure Our Borders The Federal Government has an obligation to undertake a core function of any sovereign nation– it must be able to exercise control over who crosses its borders. Any discussion of immigration policy must start with prioritizing border security, and establishing and enforcing a fully functioning system of immigration control. Physical barriers appear to make sense for some of the border, and where not practical, additional agents or technology should be deployed to secure the border. End Sanctuary Cities Sanctuary City policies must be stopped and we must support our federal immigration enforcement agents. Instructing local police officers to ignore federal law and refuse cooperation in capturing criminal aliens is a radical step that negates the will of the people as expressed through our nation’s elected representatives. It also allows for criminal illegal aliens to walk freely within our neighborhoods and put our families and Law Enforcement at risk. We must also support the critically important work done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as it works to combat gang violence, drug dealers, terrorist threats, and sex trafficking. Merit-Based Immigration Our immigration policy must be reoriented toward skill and merit and away from random lotteries and extended “chain migration” that does not account for or contribute to our nation’s economic well-being. Common Sense Solution for Dreamers As part of a commitment to securing the border and enforcing our existing laws, we should find a reasonable path to legal status for those young men and women who are here illegally through no fault of their own and who consider America their home. Emphasizing the Merits of Citizenship During a recent family visit to Baltimore, my wife and I made sure to take our children to witness an official naturalization ceremony. It was truly a moving experience. Dozens of men and women, from dozens of countries across the globe, worked hard to learn about our laws, customs, and mores, and pledged their allegiance to the United States, not out of compulsion, but out of their own free will. And that is the magic of being an American: it is not a status reserved for only those lucky enough to have been born here; it is a privilege open to anyone who shares our values and commits to upholding them. That is why the issue of immigration is so important – it goes right to the heart of who we are as a nation, and who we want to be. Our immigration system must be addressed right now, and any discussion of reform must keep the important ideals of citizenship at the forefront of the discussion. Sanctuary Cities and the Rule of Law One of the reasons American citizenship is so valued and admired is because we are a nation of laws. Our laws, grounded in a unique constitutional framework and enacted by duly elected representatives of the people, are an essential safeguard of our liberties. Those laws must be respected and enforced wisely and justly. Sanctuary cities and states should be stopped, because such lawlessness involves local officials’ sabotaging federal law enforcement and shielding recidivist criminals from capture, adjudication, and justice. In New Jersey, we see Governor Murphy planning to turn all of New Jersey into a “Sanctuary State.” That is especially reckless, dangerous, and wrong. The Murphy Sanctuary State plan sabotages and thwarts the enforcement of our immigration law by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and represents a wrong to every legal immigrant and resident of New Jersey who respects the law. I oppose that plan, and any attempt to treat those here illegally better than United States citizens, such as giving financial aid for higher education or free legal services to those here illegally, because our nation must place a great value on the status of citizenship. Border Security and Reform The United States Government has an obligation to undertake a core function of any sovereign – it must be able to exercise control over who crosses its borders. Any discussion of immigration policy must start with prioritizing border security, and a fully functioning system of immigration control should be established and enforced. Our immigration policy also can be reoriented toward skill and merit and away from random lotteries and extended “chain migration” that does not account for or contribute to our nation’s economic well-being. As we address those issues, we can then also find a reasonable path to legal status for those young men and women who are here illegally through no fault of their own and who consider America their home – the so-called “Dreamers.” “The radical activists supporting and backing Mikie Sherrill have seriously distorted the mission of ICE in the media over the past few weeks. I’m supporting Jay Webber because he understands the importance of ICE and a secure border.” –Mark Kelly, Former ICE Officer Protecting the Innocent A fundamental purpose of limited government is to protect innocent life and defenseless individuals. That is why I authored and championed the landmark law that stops sexual predators and child abusers from getting jobs in the schools of our children. And that is why I won extra support for communities that host battered women’s shelters. Such service and success have earned the endorsement of New Jersey Right to Life and the Defender of the Family Award. Women’s healthcare must be a priority, and to keep it so, federal funding for Planned Parenthood should be repurposed to federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, which provide better and more comprehensive services than Planned Parenthood. Taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood subsidizes late-term abortions and abortions on minors without their parents’ knowledge or consent. Planned Parenthood and its agents have been caught on camera bargaining prices for baby body parts and have covered up the statutory rape and sex trafficking of young women, among other scandals. The federal government should not subsidize such a controversial group, especially when better options exist. National Security Peace through Strength The United States – and the United States alone – should determine what its security interests are. Weakness attracts aggression, so peace through strength should remain the firm basis for our foreign policy. There is evil in the world, and we are forced to encounter and confront it. ISIS is an example of such evil, and ISIS and other terrorist cells should be ultimately and completely destroyed. Rogue Nations Iran is a rogue regime with forty years of bad intentions toward the United States. The threat of nuclear proliferation to Iran remains, due to the empty promises of the Obama administration’s flawed 2015 “deal” with Iran. Russia and China are our rivals, competing with us across political, economic, and military fields. Moreover, Russia and China can be aggressive rivals, seeking to export or channel that aggressiveness into rogue states such as Syria and North Korea. We must demonstrate to all nations that we will stand up for ourselves, our allies, and our priorities in the international arena. Allies & Israel The United States must stand with our allies, and the rest of the world should know it. Israel has been a staunch defender of freedom and democracy in the Middle East and the strongest ally of the United States in the region. The United States and Israel share the objectives of defeating terrorism and preventing nuclear build-up in the Middle East. The recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the beginning of the movement of our embassy to Jerusalem are decisive steps in the right direction. Picatinny Arsenal & Veterans We are proud to recognize the role of our own Picatinny Arsenal in guarding our national security. For the more than 100 years, Picatinny Arsensal has been a stronghold for our freedoms, and the Arsenal in turn deserves our continued support. For eight years, President Obama’s Veteran Administration failed veterans — with backlogs for benefits and healthcare, lower quality of care & life, toxic & unaccountable culture, a secret waitlist scandal, $140 million in bonuses to failing bureaucrats while veterans suffered, and more. In the aftermath of those injustices to veterans, we must strengthen the Veterans Administration to bring it into the 21st century and make sure that it actually is caring for and serving veterans who have earned it. Public Service Jay Webber has “walked the walk” and “proven [his] ability to make tough choices in government.” --New Jersey Hills We must represent and always keep in mind those individuals who have no high-priced lobbyist or special-interest group representing them — the hard-working taxpayers who daily do the right things, play by the rules, and ask only for a fair shake from their government. Those are the people I never lose sight of. Remember when Washington’s liberal representatives rammed through Obamacare but created a special exception for themselves and kept their own gold-plated taxpayer-funded healthcare coverage? That type of double standard, where our representatives refuse to live under the very rules they make for the rest of us, is what created the call to “drain the swamp” in Washington. Public service should be just that — service. We need servant leaders. That’s why I and my whole family voluntarily have declined the generous taxpayer-funded health benefits offered to officials. Our citizens do not get such gold-plated benefits in private life, so I lead by example and turn down those benefits that other officials take. The most recent official estimate is that we have turned down almost $300,000 in benefits during my time in the State Legislature, which saves the taxpayers money but just as importantly shows unmistakably that a leader can serve the public without angling to pad his or her own pocket. Similarly, I was out front in ending defined-benefit public pensions for part-time officials, because our citizens in the private sector do not get pensions in those circumstances and neither should the elected officials who are supposed to serve those citizens. Leadership Representatives in our republic should seek common ground on issues, so that good policies can improve the lives of our citizens. That is how we built a coalition and championed the landmark law that protects our kids in schools from child abusers and sexual predators. And that is how we protected and funded victims of domestic abuse and the communities who care for them. We also know, though, that strong leadership sometimes means standing up and apart from the establishment even when that requires opposing powerful interests or resisting strong partisan pressures. Too often there is backroom deal-making where the elite insiders and special interests come out winners, while the taxpayers and citizens get handed the bill for payment. I have been proud to stand against those backroom deals, and will continue to do so. My beliefs and principles, shaped and directed by the best interests and values of our citizens, are the ultimate touchstones for my decisionmaking and actions, not a “go-along-to-get-along” mentality. We deserve strong leadership that serves our citizens, not a Washington follower who sells them out. Spending & Debt Growing up in a working family in New Jersey gave me an appreciation for the true value of a dollar and how to stretch a dollar to make ends meet. Government could take a good lesson from that kitchen-table fiscal responsibility. Year after year the federal government spends hundreds of billions more than it takes in, and our national debt now exceeds an unfathomable $20 trillion, a burden that threatens our long-term prosperity and shackles our children and grandchildren with debt. The government takes in trillions of dollars annually, so the problem, of course, is not that we tax too little, it’s that we spend too much. I support balancing the federal budget with tough but fair spending cuts, and, once balanced, capping federal spending so that we can begin to dig out of the enormous fiscal hole in which we find ourselves. Constitutional Rights Fundamental freedom is a foundation of our American way of life. The United States Constitution stands as an essential support for those freedoms and a bulwark against unjustified and unwarranted government interference in the lives of most, who prefer that government minimize its role in their lives so that they can live in relative peace and prosperity. There are no second-class rights in the Bill of Rights, and we should never forget this Oath of Office for Congress: I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. Those principles of the Oath will guide my decisions and actions as a Member of Congress.	”
—Webber for Congress

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Mikie Sherrill

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Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Two of 21 New Jersey counties—9.5 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Gloucester County, New Jersey	0.48%	10.77%	12.16%
Salem County, New Jersey	15.00%	1.31%	3.92%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Jersey with 55.5 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 41.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic 46.67 percent of the time and Republican 53.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic all five times.

District history

2016

See also: New Jersey's 11th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) defeated Joseph Wenzel (D), Jeff Hetrick (L), and Thomas DePasquale (Financial Independence) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Frelinghuysen defeated Rick Van Glahn in the Republican primary, while Wenzel won the Democratic nomination against Lee Anne Brogowski and Richard McFarlane. The primary elections took place on June 7, 2016. Frelinghuysen won re-election in the November 8 election.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 11 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rodney Frelinghuysen Incumbent	58%	194,299
	Democratic	Joseph Wenzel	38.9%	130,162
	Financial Independence	Thomas DePasquale	2.1%	7,056
	Libertarian	Jeff Hetrick	1%	3,475
Total Votes				334,992
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

U.S. House, New Jersey District 11 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rodney Frelinghuysen Incumbent	76.2%	44,618
Rick Van Glahn	23.8%	13,909
Total Votes		58,527
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

U.S. House, New Jersey District 11 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joseph Wenzel	70.4%	34,688
Richard McFarlane	17.8%	8,751
Lee Anne Brogowski	11.8%	5,799
Total Votes		49,238
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

2014

See also: New Jersey's 11th Congressional District elections, 2014

The 11th Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) defeated Mark Dunec (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 11 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rodney Frelinghuysen Incumbent	62.6%	109,455
	Democratic	Mark Dunec	37.4%	65,477
Total Votes				174,932
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in New Jersey heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in New Jersey.
• Democrats held seven of 12 U.S. House seats in New Jersey, and Republicans held five.

State executives

• As of May 2018, Democrats held five of 14 state executive positions. The other nine positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
• The governor of New Jersey was Democrat Phil Murphy.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the New Jersey State Legislature. They had a 54-26 majority in the state Assembly and a 25-15 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• New Jersey was a Democratic trifecta, meaning that the Democratic Party held the governorship, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state Assembly.

2018 elections

See also: New Jersey elections, 2018

New Jersey held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• The Class 1 U.S. Senate seat held by Bob Menendez (D)
• All 12 U.S. House seats
• Local judicial offices
• Local school boards
• Municipal elections in Newark and Essex County

Demographics

Demographic data for New Jersey
	New Jersey	U.S.
Total population:	8,935,421	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	7,354	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	68.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	13.5%	12.6%
Asian:	9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	19%	17.1%
Bildung
High school graduation rate:	88.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	36.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$72,093	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, New Jersey had a population of approximately 9 million people, and its three largest cities were New Jersey (pop. est. 283,000), Jersey City (pop. est. 265,000), and Paterson (pop. est. 147,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in New Jersey from 2000 to 2016.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in New Jersey every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), New Jersey 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	55.5%	Donald Trump	41.4%	14.1%
2012	Barack Obama	58.4%	Mitt Romney	40.6%	17.8%
2008	Barack Obama	57.2%	John McCain	41.7%	15.5%
2004	John Kerry	52.9%	George W. Bush	46.2%	6.7%
2000	Al Gore	56.1%	George W. Bush	40.3%	15.8%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in New Jersey from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), New Jersey 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Cory Booker	55.8%	Jeff Bell	42.3%	13.5%
2012	Bob Menendez	58.9%	Joseph Kyrillos	39.4%	19.5%
2008	Frank Lautenberg	56.0%	Dick Zimmer	42.0%	14.0%
2006	Bob Menendez	53.3%	Thomas Kean Jr.	44.3%	9.0%
2002	Frank Lautenberg	53.9%	Doug Forrester	44.0%	9.9%
2000	Jon Corzine	50.1%	Bob Franks	47.1%	3.0%

Gubernatorial elections, 2001-2017

This chart shows the results of the five gubernatorial elections held between 2001 and 2017. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in New Jersey, and, unlike most states, they take place in odd years.

Election results (Governor), New Jersey 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2017	Phil Murphy	56.0%	Kim Guadagno	41.9%	14.1%
2013	Chris Christie	60.3%	Barbara Buono	38.2%	22.1%
2009	Chris Christie	48.5%	Jon Corzine	44.9%	3.6%
2005	Jon Corzine	53.5%	Doug Forrester	43.0%	10.5%
2001	Jim McGreevey	56.4%	Bret Schundler	41.7%	14.7%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, New Jersey 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	5	41.7%	7	58.3%	D+2
2014	6	50.0%	6	50.0%	Even
2012	6	50.0%	6	50.0%	Even
2010	6	46.2%	7	53.8%	D+1
2008	5	38.5%	8	61.5%	D+3
2006	6	46.2%	7	53.8%	D+1
2004	6	46.2%	7	53.8%	D+1
2002	6	46.2%	7	53.8%	D+1
2000	6	46.2%	7	53.8%	D+1

Trifectas, 1992-2018

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2024
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Eight years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S	S	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Assembly	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

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See also

• New Jersey's 11th Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)
• New Jersey's 11th Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2018
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018

Footnotes

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New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cory Booker (D)

George Helmy (D)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Norcross (D)

District 2

Jeff Van Drew (R)

District 3

Andrew Kim (D)

District 4

Chris Smith (R)

District 5

Josh Gottheimer (D)

District 6

Frank Pallone (D)

District 7

Thomas Kean (R)

District 8

Robert Menendez (D)

District 9

Vacant

District 10

Vacant

District 11

Mikie Sherrill (D)

District 12

Bonnie Coleman (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (3)

Vacancies (2)