New Jersey's 12th congressional district


New Jersey's 12th congressional district is represented by Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman. The district is known for its research centers and educational institutions such as Princeton University, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Institute for Advanced Study, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Voting trends

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.
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 by 651 votes. In 2002, despite an expensive challenge from former New Jersey Secretary of State Buster Soaries, Holt was re-elected with 61%.
Since then, the 12th has trended into a Democratic-leaning district, as measured by the Cook PVI.
In 2004, Holt was re-elected over real estate executive Bill Spadea and again in 2006 over former Helmetta Council President Joseph Sinagra.
In 2008, Holt defeated Holmdel Township Deputy Mayor Alan Bateman.
In 2010, while Democrats suffered huge House loses, Holt defeated Princeton venture capitalist Scott Sipprelle and Independent Kenneth J. Cody.
The district became even more Democratic after the 2010 census, as it lost its share of Republican-leaning Hunterdon and Monmouth Counties, while being pushed further into strongly Democratic Middlesex and gaining the overwhelmingly Democratic Union County town of Plainfield.
Holt retired in 2014, and was succeeded by State Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Counties and municipalities in the district

A change was made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013 with the 113th United States Congress, based on the results of the 2010 United States Census. The district currently contains portions of four counties and 31 municipalities:
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Somerset County
Union County

History

The 12th congressional district was created starting with the 63rd United States Congress in 1913, based on redistricting following the United States Census, 1910.

Recent election results

Presidential races

YearOfficeResults
2000PresidentGore 56 - 40%
2004PresidentKerry 54 - 46%
2008PresidentObama 58 - 41%
2012PresidentObama 66.5 - 32%
2016PresidentClinton 65 - 32%

List of members representing the district