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 74% 21% 90% 10% 1997 75 24 88 10 1996 77 19 91 5 1995 83 15 87 11 1994 79 21 95 4 1993 81 17 90 8 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 98 1996 95 1995 98 1994 99 1993 98	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 95% n/a 33% 12 % 1997 90 100 40 13 1996 85 100 19 5 1995 90 100 21 17 1994 90 89 50 5 1993 90 100 18 9
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 13 : Parts of Jersey City and Newark

A short ferry ride from Jersey City, the Statue of Liberty beckons to the world's refugees - the tired, poor and huddled masses. After a protracted legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1998 that New Jersey can lay claim to nearby Ellis Island, whose lure has helped form the colorful character of the 13th District.

Covering the New Jersey shoreline, taking in parts of Jersey City and Newark, the 13th has a diverse community of Hispanics, many of whom came in a wave of immigration from countries all across Central and South America that followed a loosening of restrictions in 1965. The 13th was formed in 1992 to gather many of those scattered Hispanic neighborhoods, and, in 1992, the district elected the state's first Hispanic congressman. In four consecutive elections, Rep. Menendez has been re-elected handily - by a resounding 80 percent in 1998.

Russian, Indian, Korean and Filipino communities add to the district's diversity and its overwhelming Democratic vote. A few Republican presidential ballots are cast by Cuban communities in Union City, North Bergen, Guttenberg and West New York.

Although Newark's economy has struggled, much of the district is on stable ground. Both Jersey City and Hoboken have seen some neighborhoods gentrify, as young professionals and financial services companies have moved across the river from Manhattan.

Major Industry
Health care, retail, financial securities

Population
594,875 (1990)

Cities
Jersey City (pt.), 122,374; Newark (pt.), 105,853 (1990); Union City, 57,126 (1996)

People
100% urban; 12% age 65+ (ranks ninth of 13 in state; middle third nationally); 45% married couples, 21% married couples with children; 16% college educated (ranks 11 of 13 in district; middle third nationally); 52% white collar (ranks 13 of 13 in district; bottom third nationally), 34% blue collar (ranks first of 13 in district; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
67% white, 14% black, 5% Asian; 41% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$28,721 (ranks 13 of 13 in district; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Frank Sinatra born and raised in Hoboken; Frank "I am the Law" Hague, a legendary Democratic machine politician, ruled Hudson County from 1917 to 1949.

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