New Jersey Senator Proposes Renaming Delaware Bay Inspired by Trump

New Jersey Republican state Sen. Michael Testa has introduced legislation proposing to rename the Delaware Bay as 'The Bay of New Jersey,' inspired by President Donald Trump's earlier executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Testa argues that New Jersey's fishing industry warrants having the bay named after the state, which has held the Delaware Bay name since 1610, originating from its naming after Thomas West, the third baron de la Warr. The bill would require New Jersey state agencies to update all official references to the bay and notify federal entities of the change. The proposal has sparked backlash from Delaware residents and others who see it as an unwelcome attempt to claim a historically Delaware-named body of water. In addition to the bay renaming, Testa has introduced another bill to reclaim a small piece of land on Salem County’s shoreline currently recognized as part of Delaware, an area that has been subject to multiple Supreme Court rulings favoring Delaware. The moves reflect a broader political trend of states asserting territorial and symbolic claims, echoing President Trump's renaming actions, and have ignited a regional dispute between New Jersey and Delaware.