Download NJ Elected Officials Public Dataset (2024) (xlsx)
This report provides updated data on the gender makeup of all elected officials in New Jersey and the racial makeup of officeholders at the congressional, state legislative, and county levels. Additionally, this report incorporates voter file data to present aggregate data on race at the municipal level, which was not previously available in our first report.
Gender Diversity
Women continue to be underrepresented at every level of office in New Jersey. Across all levels of office, women comprise 30.5% of officeholders, almost unchanged from 29.5% in 2023. This mirrors national proportions, with women’s representation across most levels of office hovering at or under a third of officeholders. At the time of data collection (Spring 2024), women made up 14.3% (two of 14 members) of the New Jersey congressional delegation. As a result of the 2024 election, women now make up 28.6% of the congressional delegation (four of 14 members). Three of the four women members are women of color. Prior to the 2024 elections, a total of seven women had ever represented New Jersey in Congress. Of those women, only one was a woman of color (Bonnie Watson Coleman).
County-level offices had the highest proportion of women’s representation in the state, with women comprising 34.5% of officeholders. Following closely was the state legislature, where women comprised 34.2% of seats, and municipal offices, where women comprised 30.2% of all municipal seats. Among mayors of cities with populations over 30,000, the gender disparity grows significantly, with women holding only 16.0% of those positions.
Racial Diversity
White men continue to be the most overrepresented group at every level of office in New Jersey. Asian American/Pacific Islander women, Latinas, and Latinos in New Jersey face the most significant disparities between representation in government and representation in the population.
Overall, white men account for 52.5% of New Jersey officeholders at the congressional, state legislative, and county levels. According to 2023 U.S. Census population estimates, white men account for 26.4% of New Jersey’s population, signaling a vast overrepresentation (+26.1%) in officeholding.
White men are the only demographic group significantly overrepresented in the state’s 14-member congressional delegation. At the time of this report’s data collection in early 2024, white women were 27.1% of New Jersey’s population while only 7.1% of the delegation. The representation of Black women was near their population in the state while Black men exceeded it. At the time of data collection, Latinas, Asian American/Pacific Islander women, and Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian men and women were completely absent at this level of office, meaning nearly a fifth of New Jersey’s population is not reflected in their congressional representation in our nation’s capital.
There were significant changes to congressional membership in New Jersey as a result of the November 2024 election, and these changes are important to include in this report. As of January 2025, Black women in Congress (14.3%) now exceeding their population in the state (8.9%). Latinas still do not match or exceed their population but have increased to one with the election of the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress, Nellie Pou (D).
At the state legislative level, white men remain significantly overrepresented. This pattern continues at the county level, where white men account for 51.7% of officeholders. The overrepresentation is most pronounced among mayors of cities with populations over 30,000, where 64.0% are white men, despite white men making up only 26.4% of the state’s population. Notably, 49% of New Jersey’s citizens live in cities with populations over 30,000.
Significant partisan differences emerge by race and gender. Across all levels of office (excluding municipal), white men and women account for 58.6% of all Democratic officeholders and 93.5% of Republican officeholders. At the state legislative level, 90.9% of Republican legislators are white. In contrast, among Democratic state legislators, 23.7% identify as Black, 14.5% identify as Latino/a, and 6.6% identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander. Gender disparities are also evident by party. Women make up 38.1% of Democratic officeholders and 24% of Republican officeholders across all levels. In the state legislature, women comprise 42% of the Democratic caucus and 20% of the Republican caucus.
As noted in the methodology section, data for race at the municipal level in this report was obtained using the voter file and has some limitations. Specifically, race could not be determined for 19.3% of officeholders (15.8% men and 3.5% women). In addition, the voter file only provided codes for Asian American/Pacific Islander, Black, Latino/a, and white officeholders. However, the available data tells a story that mirrors other levels of office in New Jersey. White men continue to be the only group overrepresented relative to their share of the population, holding 47.2% of municipal seats. It should be noted, however, that this is also the only level of office with incomplete race codes.
Aside from the municipal level, coding for race in this project follows CAWP’s current method for race data collection. Officeholders who identify as more than one race/ethnicity are included in each group with which they identify. As a result, percentages may not add up to 100% across levels.