NJ Legislative District 5


District 5 Profile

District 5 includes the following municipalities:

Audubon Borough Barrington Borough Bellmawr Borough Brooklawn Borough Camden City Deptford Township Gloucester City	Haddon Heights Borough Hi Nella Borough Lawnside Borough Magnolia Borough Mount Ephraim Borough Runnemede Borough Somerdale Borough	Stratford Borough Westville Borough Woodbury City Woodbury Heights Borough Woodlynne Borough	Party Affiliation Registered Voters: 111,454 % Republican: 10.2 % % Democrat: 34.9% 2009 Election Returns	View of City of Camden Image Source and copyright: BJ Swartz

2010-11 Legislative Delegation
Senate:	Assembly:	Assembly:
Donald Norcross (Democrat Law and Public Safety, Vice-Chair Transportation, Vice-Chair Joint Committee on the Public Schools	Angel Fuentes (Democrat) Commerce and Economic Development Higher Education Human Services Joint Committee on Housing Affordability	Gilbert Wilson (Democrat) Agriculture and Natural Resources Law and Public Safety Military and Veterans' Affairs

District Description
The heavily Democratic fifth district is dominated by the City of Camden, one of the most distressed cities in the nation, but includes much more affluent suburban municipalities. The district has a high proportion of African Americans and Hispanics, with the highest concentrations thereof within Camden itself. Largely due to Camden, the district as a whole ranks among the lowest of all 40 legislative districts in average income and property value, and is the highest in its dependence on state government aid for municipal budgets and local schools. Over 80 percent of its residents receive welfare or other government income assistance. Under legislation enacted in July 2002, the state government provided a $175 million bailout package to save the City from bankruptcy, but also imposed strict oversight of the municipal government and school board, including authorizing the state to appoint a chief operating officer with management control over the City budget and personnel decisions and power by the state to veto actions of the school board. Following the November 2009 election, the legislature and Governor Corzine restored local control to the City after the election of former Senator Dana Redd as mayor. The district legislative delegation was the only one to see a complete turnover in its representatives in the 2010 legislative session. Democratic Senator Dana Redd resigned her seat after she was elected as mayor of Camden and was replaced by Donald Norcross, a labor union leader, co-chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee and brother of the powerful South Jersey political leader George Norcross. Senator Norcross had initially been nominated to run in 2009 for the seat previoously held by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, who earler had announced his intention to retire from the Legislature. Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez also did not stand for re-election and Camden City Council President Angel Fuentes was easily elected to succeed her. The second Assembly seat, won by Donald Norcross in the 2009 election, was subsequently filled by Camden Councilman and retired police officer Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, who was selected by a vote of the district Democratic committee.

District Description

The heavily Democratic fifth district is dominated by the City of Camden, one of the most distressed cities in the nation, but includes much more affluent suburban municipalities. The district has a high proportion of African Americans and Hispanics, with the highest concentrations thereof within Camden itself. Largely due to Camden, the district as a whole ranks among the lowest of all 40 legislative districts in average income and property value, and is the highest in its dependence on state government aid for municipal budgets and local schools. Over 80 percent of its residents receive welfare or other government income assistance.

Under legislation enacted in July 2002, the state government provided a $175 million bailout package to save the City from bankruptcy, but also imposed strict oversight of the municipal government and school board, including authorizing the state to appoint a chief operating officer with management control over the City budget and personnel decisions and power by the state to veto actions of the school board. Following the November 2009 election, the legislature and Governor Corzine restored local control to the City after the election of former Senator Dana Redd as mayor.

The district legislative delegation was the only one to see a complete turnover in its representatives in the 2010 legislative session. Democratic Senator Dana Redd resigned her seat after she was elected as mayor of Camden and was replaced by Donald Norcross, a labor union leader, co-chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee and brother of the powerful South Jersey political leader George Norcross. Senator Norcross had initially been nominated to run in 2009 for the seat previoously held by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, who earler had announced his intention to retire from the Legislature. Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez also did not stand for re-election and Camden City Council President Angel Fuentes was easily elected to succeed her. The second Assembly seat, won by Donald Norcross in the 2009 election, was subsequently filled by Camden Councilman and retired police officer Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, who was selected by a vote of the district Democratic committee.