Our corner of South Jersey, also known as the 2nd congressional district, has garnered some national attention since it flipped Republican and voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, after previously voting for President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. When longtime incumbent Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R) announced he was retiring from the House of Representatives, he triggered a race that has drawn a lot of press coverage. For more detailed previews of Tuesday’s primaries, read The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Center-left clash in Dem primary for key South Jersey House seat mirrors national struggle and this WNYC piece on how the primary fight in South Jersey exposes a rift in the Democratic party.
Live results, courtesy of NJ Spotlight:
And here are some assorted facts and figures about New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district (from the Census Bureau and Ballotpedia).
- Not everywhere is on the same page in this ‘pivot district’. In fact, it was only Gloucester and Salem counties that flipped to Trump after voting twice for Obama. (Atlantic and Cumberland counties stayed Democrat and Cape May County stayed Republican).
- It has the lowest level of employment out of all of New Jersey’s congressional districts, with just 62.5 percent of adults over 16 in the labor force.
- Almost one quarter of the labor force works in the service sector – 24 percent.
- It has a large number of government workers, with 17.4 percent of the population working in a government job (that is more than any other congressional district in New Jersey).
- The population is declining, in spite of immigration.
- The median household income is $59,785 (the third lowest out of New Jersey’s 13 congressional districts).
- More than 20 percent of the district’s children live below the poverty level.
You can find some more details for yourself here: