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Located nearly in the geographic center of the state, the 30th district has experienced in recent years some of the most rapid development of all districts, ranking second of all districts in the percentage population growth between the 1990 and 2000 federal censuses. Since the 2000 census, it is estimated the district has gone from the 12th largest by population to the highest population in the state. Similar to much of central New Jersey, this growth has placed great strain upon the existing infrastructure and there is much pressure from the residents for transportation improvements. The 30th is a relatively average district as far as concentrations of minorities, foreign-born, elderly and the poor are concerned. See New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Center for Government Services, Rutgers University. Lakewood, however, has become both a state and national center of Jewish affairs, and is the site of the Beth Medrash Govoha, the world’s largest school for Talmudic studies with an enrollment of more than 3,000 students on a 15-acre campus.
A ten point margin in Republican over Democratic voter registration has helped Republicans maintain all three seats of the legislative delegation. Senator Robert W. Singer has been a Senator since 1993 after serving 1986-93 in the Assembly; he is Republican Conference Leader in the 2008-09 session and a member of the Legislative Services Commission and the Committees on
Commerce; and Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens. Senator Singer is employed as vice president of community relations with the Community/Kimball Medical Center in Ocean County, and also is a member of the Lakewood Township Committee and former mayor of Lakewood.
Assemblyman Joseph R. Malone, a member of the Assembly since 1993 and a mmeber of the Budget and Education Committees in the 2008-09 session, is a former mayor of Bordentown Township who is employed as Director of Post Secondary and Adult Education/Apprentice Coordinator for the Somerset County Technical Institute. Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer, was appointed in 2002 to the Assembly after selection by a special district Republican convention to serve the unexpired term of the late Assemblyman Melvin Cottrell, and was elected to his first full term in November 2003 and re-elected in 2005 and 2007. He serves on the Labor and Tourism and Gaming Committees in the 2009-09 session. He also has been the mayor of Plumsted since 1990, and is employed as an interviewer in the Ocean County Adjuster's office.
In 2007, all three incumbents were re-elected. Senator Singer defeated Democrat Steven Morlino, the Howell Township Democratic Chairman and a former executive director of the Newark Public Schools. Assemblymen Malone and Dancer retained their seats over challenges from Democrats Jeffrey Williamson, a fire and housing inspector for Lakewood Township, and Sharon Atkinson, a past mayor, council member and school board member in New Hanover. |
