1997Final results
1997 election for New Jersey Legislative District 5
New Jersey General Assembly · New Jersey
2 seats: Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D), Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D) won.
2 seatsJoseph J. Roberts Jr.Democrat · winner · incumbent
44.0%31,898
Nilsa Cruz-PerezDemocrat · winner · incumbent
39.9%28,918
Joe SmiriglioRepublican
16.2%11,744
72,560 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1997
Races before and after
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET