The New Jersey legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles New Jersey's legislature.
The basics
New Jersey's legislature is bicameral: a 40-member Senate and an 80-member General Assembly. A bill needs a majority of authorized members to pass each chamber: 21 votes in the Senate, 41 in the Assembly. The legislature runs on a 2-year session. The current 222nd Legislature convened January 13, 2026, and both houses typically meet Mondays and Thursdays year-round, with a customary July-August recess. Assembly members serve 2-year terms, with all 80 seats up every odd year. The most recent Assembly election was November 2025. Senate members serve 4-year terms, except for a 2-year term in the first election after each decennial redistricting. The Senate was last elected in 2023 and is next up in 2027. The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies New Jersey as a hybrid legislature, with members spending roughly 74 percent of a full-time job on the role and average compensation around $41,110.
Who controls it now
New Jersey has a Democratic trifecta. Democrats hold 57 of 80 Assembly seats after the 2025 election and a majority in the Senate, alongside Governor Mikie Sherrill, sworn in January 20, 2026.
Where to go
- New Jersey Legislature: https://www.njleg.gov