New Jersey Senate

List of state senators ==Committees and committee chairs==

Committee chairs for the 2024–2026 Legislative Session are: • Budget and Appropriations – Paul Sarlo (D-District 36) • Commerce – Joseph Lagana (D-District 38) • Community and Urban Affairs – Troy Singleton (D-District 7) • Economic Growth – Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-District 5) • Education – Vin Gopal (D-District 11) • Environment and Energy – Bob Smith (D-District 17) • Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens – Joe F. Vitale (D-District 19) • Higher Education – Joseph Cryan (D-District 20) • Judiciary – Brian P. Stack (D-District 33) • Labor – Gordon Johnson (D-District 37) • Law and Public Safety – Linda R. Greenstein (D-District 14) • Legislative Oversight – Andrew Zwicker (D-District 16) • Military and Veterans' Affairs – Raj Mukherji (D-District 32) • Rules and Order – Vacant • State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation – James Beach (D-District 6) • Transportation – Patrick J. Diegnan (D-District 18) ==List of Senate presidents==

The following is a list of presidents of the New Jersey Senate since the adoption of the 1844 State Constitution: • 1845–1848: John C. Smallwood, Gloucester • 1849–1850: Ephraim March, Morris • 1851: Silas D. Canfield, Passaic • 1852: John Manners, Hunterdon • 1853–1856: William C. Alexander, Mercer • 1857–1858: Henry V. Speer, Middlesex • 1859: Thomas H. Herring, Bergen • 1860: Charles L. C. Gifford, Essex • 1861: Edmund Perry, Hunterdon • 1862: Joseph T. Crowell, Union • 1863: Anthony Reckless, Monmouth • 1864: Amos Robbins, Middlesex • 1865: Edward W. Scudder, Mercer • 1866: James M. Scovel, Camden • 1867: Benjamin Buckley, Passaic • 1868–1869: Henry S. Little, Monmouth • 1870: Amos Robbins • 1871–1872: Edward Bettle, Camden • 1873–1875: John W. Taylor, Essex • 1876: William J. Sewell, Camden • 1877: Leon Abbett, Hudson • 1878: George C. Ludlow, Middlesex • 1879–1880: William J. Sewell • 1881–1882: Garret Hobart, Passaic • 1883: John J. Gardner, Atlantic • 1884: Benjamin A. Vail, Union • 1885: Abraham V. Schenck, Middlesex • 1886: John W. Griggs, Passaic • 1887: Frederick S. Fish, Essex • 1888: George H. Large, Hunterdon • 1889: George T. Werts, Morris • 1890: Henry M. Nevius, Monmouth • 1891–1893: Robert Adrain, Middlesex • 1894: Maurice A. Rogers, Camden • 1895: Edward C. Stokes, Cumberland • 1896: Lewis A. Thompson, Somerset (resigned March 30) • 1896–1897: Robert Williams, Passaic • 1898: Foster M. Voorhees, Union (became Acting Governor February 1) • 1898: William H. Skirm (pro tem), Mercer • 1899: Charles A. Reed, Somerset • 1900: William M. Johnson, Bergen • 1901: Mahlon Pitney, Morris • 1902: Charles Asa Francis, Monmouth • 1903: Elijah C. Hutchinson, Mercer • 1904: Edmund W. Wakelee, Bergen • 1905: Joseph Cross, Union (resigned March 30) • 1905–1906: William J. Bradley, Camden • 1907: Bloomfield H. Minch, Cumberland • 1908: Thomas J. Hillery, Morris • 1909: Samuel K. Robbins, Burlington (resigned April 16) • 1909–1910: Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, Somerset • 1911: Ernest R. Ackerman, Union • 1912: John Dyneley Prince, Passaic • 1913: James F. Fielder, Hudson (became Acting Governor March 1) • 1913: James A. C. Johnson (pro tem), Bergen • 1914: John W. Slocum, Monmouth • 1915: Walter E. Edge, Atlantic • 1916: William T. Read, Camden (resigned March 29) • 1916–1917: George W. F. Gaunt, Gloucester • 1918: Thomas F. McCran, Passaic • 1919: William N. Runyon, Union • 1920: Clarence E. Case, Somerset • 1921: Collins B. Allen, Salem • 1922: William B. Mackay Jr., Bergen • 1923: Joseph F. Wallworth, Camden • 1924: Firman M. Reeves, Cumberland • 1925: William H. Bright, Cape May • 1926: Morgan F. Larson, Middlesex • 1927: Francis B. Davis, Gloucester • 1928: William A. Stevens, Monmouth • 1929: Thomas A. Mathis, Ocean • 1930: Arthur N. Pierson, Union • 1931: Joseph G. Wolber, Essex • 1932: A. Crozer Reeves, Mercer • 1933: Emerson Lewis Richards, Atlantic • 1934: Clifford R. Powell, Burlington • 1935: Horace G. Prall, Hunterdon • 1936: John C. Barbour, Passaic (resigned June 26) • 1936–1937: Frank Durand, Monmouth • 1938: Charles E. Loizeaux, Union • 1939: Robert C. Hendrickson, Gloucester • 1940: Arthur F. Foran, Hunterdon • 1941–1942: I. Grant Scott, Cape May • 1943: George H. Stanger, Cumberland • 1944: Howard Eastwood, Burlington (resigned August 31) • 1944: George H. Stanger • 1945: Frank S. Farley, Atlantic • 1946: Haydn Proctor, Monmouth • 1947: Charles K. Barton, Passaic • 1948: John M. Summerill Jr., Salem • 1949: David Van Alstyne, Bergen • 1950: Samuel L. Bodine, Hunterdon • 1951: Alfred B. Littell, Sussex • 1952: Harold W. Hannold, Gloucester • 1953: David Young III, Morris • 1954: W. Steelman Mathis, Ocean • 1955: Bruce A. Wallace, Camden • 1956: Wayne Dumont Jr., Warren • 1957: Albert McCay, Burlington • 1958: Richard R. Stout, Monmouth • 1959: Wesley L. Lance, Hunterdon • 1960: George B. Harper, Sussex • 1961: Thomas J. Hillery, Morris • 1962: Robert C. Crane, Union (resigned January 9) • 1962: Frank S. Farley • 1963: William E. Ozzard, Somerset • 1964–1965: Charles W. Sandman, Cape May • 1966: John A. Lynch Sr., 7th District • 1967: Sido L. Ridolfi, 6th District • 1968: Edwin B. Forsythe, 4B District • 1969: Frank X. McDermott, 9th District • 1970–1972: Raymond Bateman, 8th District • 1973: Alfred N. Beadleston, 5th District • 1974–1975: Frank J. Dodd, 26th District • 1976–1977: Matthew Feldman, 37th District • 1978–1981: Joseph P. Merlino, 13th District • 1982–1986: Carmen A. Orechio, 30th District • 1986–1990: John F. Russo, 10th District • 1990–1991: John A. Lynch Jr., 17th District • 1992–2002: Donald DiFrancesco, 22nd District • 2002–2004: John O. Bennett, 12th District and Richard Codey, 27th District (co-presidents, with the Senate split 20-20) • 2004–2008: Richard Codey, 27th District (resigned January 7, 2008) • 2008: Bernard Kenny, 33rd District (served January 7 to January 8, after Codey resigned to honor Kenny) • 2008–2010: Richard Codey, 27th District • 2022–present Nicholas Scutari, 22nd District == Double dipping ==

Under a state law that remained in effect until 2008, members of the New Jersey Assembly and Senate were allowed to serve in either chamber, as well as any other government positions they might have held at the time, although those who were still doing so as of 2008 ended up getting "grandfathered": : Name, Party-County – Second Public Office (names in bold represent state Senators still in both local and state offices as of 2025): Senators: • Dana Redd, D-Camden – Councilwoman, Camden • Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson – Mayor, North Bergen • Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen – Mayor, Wood-Ridge • Robert Singer, R-Ocean – Committeeman, Lakewood • Brian Stack, D-Hudson – Mayor, Union City • Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester – Freeholder, Gloucester County ==Special powers==

Senatorial courtesy Senatorial courtesy is a senate tradition that allows home county legislators to intercede to prevent consideration of a local resident nominated by the governor for a position that requires Senate confirmation. Any of the senators from the nominee's home county can invoke senatorial courtesy to block a nomination, temporarily or permanently, without any obligation to justify the basis of their actions. Governor Corzine nominated Stuart Rabner on June 4, 2007, to be the next Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, replacing James R. Zazzali, who was nearing mandatory retirement age. Shortly after the nomination, two members of the Senate from Essex County, where Rabner resides, blocked consideration of his confirmation by invoking senatorial courtesy. State Senator Ronald Rice had initially blocked the nomination, but relented on June 15, 2007, after a meeting with the governor. Nia Gill dropped her block on June 19, 2007, but did not explain the nature of her concerns, though anonymous lawmakers cited in The New York Times indicated that the objection was due to Rabner's race and Governor Corzine's failure to consider a minority candidate for the post. The lieutenant governor of New Jersey took office for the first time on January 19, 2010, following an election with the governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed on November 8, 2005. While the amendment itself took effect as of January 17, 2006, and made some interim changes to the succession to the governorship, the first lieutenant governor was not elected until November 3, 2009. The President of the Senate now serves as acting governor only in the absence of both the governor and lieutenant governor. For example, Nicholas Scutari became acting governor of New Jersey on June 4, 2022, as both Governor Phil Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver were out of state on personal trips. He again became acting governor on July 31, 2023 when Murphy was out of state and Oliver was in the hospital due to an illness, from which she died the following day. Oliver's death led Scutari to serve as acting lieutenant governor until the vacancy was officially filled on September 8, 2023, when Tahesha Way was sworn in. == Notes ==