NJ-7 Democratic registration expands in April

New Jersey’s battleground 7th congressional district became slightly more Democratic in April after flipping the registration edge last month.

In early March, the 7th had 382 more Republicans than Democrats, but in April that number shifted to a Democratic edge of 821.  Now the district has 1,248 more Democrats than Republicans, according to recent voter registration data released by the state Division of Elections.

Freshman Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) is expected to face State Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched House races in the nation.

The 7th was designed to send a Republican to Congress as part of a map that was widely viewed as a GOP redistricting victory at the time.

When it was drawn in 2012, the 7th had 29,997 more Republicans than Democrats.

On General Election Day 2018, the GOP registration edge had shrunk to 6,709.

Malinowski unseated five-term Republican Leonard Lance (R-Clinton Township) in 2018 by 16,200 votes (52%-47%).

Malinowski is the first Democrat to represent the district since incumbent Harrison Williams, Jr. (D-Plainfield) lost the seat to Assemblywoman Florence Dwyer (R-Elizabeth) in 1956.