The 21st district had 176,112 registered voters as of December 1, 2021, of whom 66,455 (37.7%) were registered as unaffiliated, 59,939 (34.0%) were registered as Democrats, 48,411 (27.5%) were registered as Republicans, and 1,307 (0.7%) were registered to other parties.[6]
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.[7][8]
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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13] Dunn ran as an independent and lost to Gregorio in the general election.[14]
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.[15]Peter J. Genova was elected in a special election to fill Gill's vacant seat.[16]
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.[17]
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.[19]
^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."
^Pristin, Terry. "NEW JERSEY DAILY BRIEFING -- LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS New Republican in Assembly", The New York Times, November 6, 1996. Accessed June 14, 2010.
^Bechtel, Sheri. "Nancy Munoz succeeds her husband in the N.J. Assembly", The Star-Ledger, May 22, 2009. accessed July 18, 2010.
^Staff. "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.
^Sullivan, 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.
^ abStaff. "THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for the New Jersey Assembly", The New York Times, November 5, 1997. Accessed July 12, 2010.
^Kocieniewski, 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.
^Staff. "THE 2001 ELECTIONS; RESULTS -- The Races for New Jersey", The New York Times, November 8, 2001. Accessed July 12, 2010.
^Kocieniewski, David. "THE 2003 ELECTION: THE STATEHOUSE; Democrats Seize Senate And Widen Assembly Gap", The New York Times, November 5, 2003. Accessed June 23, 2010.
^Staff. "2009 Election Results" Archived February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, November 9, 2009. Accessed July 12, 2010.
^ abOfficial List; Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2013 Election Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State, December 4, 2013. Accessed February 2, 2014.
^"Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
^"Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
^"Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2013 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2011 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2007 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2003 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2001 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official Results, General Election Returns for the Office of State Senate for Election Held November 4, 1997" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Official List, General Election Returns for the Office of Senate and Assembly for Election Held November 2, 1993" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Official Results, General Election, November 5, 1991" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^ ab"Results of the General Election Held November 6, 1973" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
^"Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2019 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 2, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
^"Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
^"Official List, Candidates for General Assembly for GENERAL ELECTION 11/03/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2011 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2009 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2007 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2005 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly 12-02-2003 for November 2003 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly for November 2001 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, Candidate Returns for General Assembly 01-11-2010 for November 1999 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official Results, General Election Returns for the Office of State Assembly for Election Held November 4, 1997" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, General Election Returns for the Office of State Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Official List, General Election Results for the Office of General Assembly for Election Held November 7, 1995" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"NJ General Assembly 21". Our Campaigns. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
^"Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Special Elections Held in 1985 to Fill Vacancies in the State Legislature" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Results of the General Election Held on November 6, 1979" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
^"Results of the General Election Held November 4, 1975" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.