CQ Voting Studies are an annual analysis of a member's support or opposition to a given position. Interest Group Ratings are based on rankings from groups chosen to represent liberal, conservative, business and labor viewpoints.Voting Participation scores are based on the number of times a member voted "yea" or "nay" on roll call votes (not including quorum calls in the House). CQ Vote Studies Year Presidential Support Party Unity   S* O* S O 1998 70% 29% 85% 14% 1997 68 32 79 19 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 98	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 95% n/a 33% 16 % 1997 70 100 40 36
Note on Interest Groups: ADA=Americans for Democratic Action; AFL-CIO=American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; CCUS=Chamber of Commerce of the United States; ACU=American Conservative Union

NEW JERSEY 8 : North - Paterson

The 8th consists of 21 communities in Passaic County and northern Essex County, including Paterson, the Garden State's third-largest. The district is a combination of urban centers and suburban towns extending from Pompton Lakes, in Passaic County in the north, to Maplewood, in Essex County, covering a total of 104 square miles.

Paterson, at the heart of the district, was once known for silk mills that made it a leading textile producer in the late 18th century. But after the introduction of rayon and other materials, Paterson experienced a serious economic downfall from which it never fully recovered. Today the city suffers from chronic unemployment and poverty. The district's Essex County portion, by contrast, is mostly suburban, from wealthy Montclair and South Orange to the blue-collar and middle-class towns of Nutley and Belleville. Italian Catholics make up a large segment of this area and there are also pockets of Jewish voters.

Politically, the district leans Democratic but has become increasingly competitive. Three-fourths of Patterson's residents are black or Hispanic, and the city has a deep-seated labor tradition, making it voter-rich territory for Democratic candidates.

Major Industry
Pharmaceutical research, medical supplies, communication equipment

Population
594,912 (1990)

Cities
Paterson, 150,270; Clifton, 71,305; Passaic, 57,039 (1996)

People
100% urban; 15% age 65+ (ranks fifth of 13 in state; top third nationally); 55% married couples, 24% married couples with children; 25% college educated (ranks fifth of 13 in state; top third nationally); 64% white collar (ranks eighth of 13 in state; top third nationally), 25% blue collar (ranks fifth of 13 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
75% white, 13% black, 4% Asian; 17% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$39,944 (ranks eighth of 13 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
George Washington and his army spent considerable time in Wayne, Pompton and Totowa during the Revolutionary War in the summer and fall of 1780; Samuel Colt lived in Paterson and made his first Colt revolver there; Domestic trendsetter Martha Stewart grew up in Nutley.

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