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  McGreevey: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Schundler: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Jersey |
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The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2001. Primaries took place on June 25.[1][2] Democratic nominee Jim McGreevey won the general election with 56% of the vote against Republican Bret Schundler,[3] becoming New Jersey's first majority-elected governor since James Florio in 1989. Democrats simultaneously ended Republican control of both houses of the legislature after 10 years. This is also the last statewide election in which Democrats won Monmouth and Ocean counties. This was the first time since 1973 that a Democrat won without carrying Cape May County.[4]
McGreevey, who was sworn in on January 15, 2002, resigned in November 2004 after disclosing both his homosexuality and an alleged extramarital relationship with a man whom he had appointed as one of his advisors.[5] He was succeeded by Senate President Richard Codey, who filled the remainder of McGreevey's term.
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Jim McGreevey, mayor of Woodbridge, former state senator and nominee for governor in 1997
- Elliot Greenspan, supporter of Lyndon LaRouche
Withdrew
[edit]- Robert Torricelli, U.S. senator since 1997 (withdrew July 31, 2000)[6][7]
Declined
[edit]- Frank Pallone, U.S. representative from Long Branch
- Bill Pascrell, U.S. representative from Paterson
Campaign
[edit]Beginning with his loss in the 1997 campaign, Jim McGreevey actively sought support for a second consecutive nomination for governor by courting labor leaders and county party chairmen, whose endorsements were crucial to securing the county line.[6] In late June 2000, he raised $3.2 million for the state party.[6]
In July 2000, U.S. senator Robert Torricelli announced he would challenge McGreevey for the nomination. Torricelli put himself forward as a candidate who could bridge the gap between the northern and southern wings of the party, which remained bitterly divided after the primary election for United States Senate earlier in the year. He quickly secured the support of some labor leaders and minor endorsements in Camden, Morris, Bergen and Burlington counties, and his supporters predicted that he would receive party endorsements in populous Essex and Hudson counties as well, giving him a "stranglehold" on the nomination.[6] However, Torricelli was dogged by ethics complaints stemming from his 1996 campaign, which had resulted in a federal investigation and guilty pleas from six contributors, and his widely publicized investments in several private equity deals. Additionally, his personal style and ambition had drawn many rivals within the state party.[6]
With support from state senators Raymond Lesniak and John A. Lynch Jr., McGreevey was able to block Torricelli from gaining South Jersey county endorsements and lock up the support of organized labor.[6] In late July, the state party published polling which showed that McGreevey led Torricelli among likely primary voters 35 percent to 31 percent, signaling another bitter primary fight. In response, Newark mayor Sharpe James and other Essex County leaders, including state senator Richard Codey, endorsed McGreevey. At the news conference announcing their endorsements, McGreevey swiped at Torricelli, "The Democratic Party is greater than any individual's political ambitions."[6]
On July 31, Torricelli ended his campaign for the nomination, saying that he had been "humbled" by his failure to generate grassroots support and "naive" for believing that "people would put their own interests aside to work toward the goal of something larger."[6] Although party chair Thomas Giblin praised his decision to back out rather than fracture the party, Torricelli declined to immediately endorse McGreevey, instead citing his colleagues Frank Pallone and Bill Pascrell as potential nominees.[6]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim McGreevey | 250,404 | 95.54% | |
| Democratic | Elliot Greenspan | 11,682 | 4.46% | |
| Total votes | 262,086 | 100.00% | ||
Aftermath
[edit]Rutgers University political science professor Cliff Zukin observed that Torricelli's decision to enter the race and abruptly withdraw damaged his standing within the state party and his ambitions for the presidency.[6] Ultimately, Torricelli ended his political career in 2002 under the cloud of his campaign finance scandal, when he dropped out of his bid for re-election to the Senate trailing in the general election polls.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Bob Franks, former U.S. representative from Summit and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000
- Bret Schundler, mayor of Jersey City
Withdrew
[edit]- Donald DiFrancesco, president of the New Jersey Senate and acting governor[a]
Declined
[edit]- Jack Collins, speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996
Campaign
[edit]Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bret Schundler | 193,342 | 57.38% | |
| Republican | Bob Franks | 143,606 | 42.62% | |
| Total votes | 336,948 | 100.00% | ||
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Jerry Coleman (Green)[8][9]
- Mark Edgerton (Libertarian)[8]
- Michael Koontz (Conservative)[8]
- James McGreevey, former mayor of Woodbridge, State Senator, and nominee for Governor in 1997 (Democratic)[8]
- Costantino Rozzo (Socialist)[8]
- Kari Sachs (Socialist Workers)[8]
- William E. Schluter, State Senator from Pennington (Independent)[8]
- Bret Schundler, Mayor of Jersey City (Republican)[8]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Jim McGreevey (D) |
Bret Schundler (R) |
Bill Schluter (I) |
Other/ Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | January 24–30, 2001 | 649 RV | ±4.0% | 43% | 19% | — | 37% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | April 11–17, 2001 | 632 RV | ±4.0% | 46% | 22% | — | 32% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | August 15–21, 2001 | 395 LV | ±5.0% | 54% | 33% | — | 14% |
| 48% | 29% | 4% | 20% | ||||
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | September 22–26, 2001 | 424 LV | ±4.0% | 46% | 31% | — | 24% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | October 13–17, 2001 | 449 LV | ±4.7% | 45% | 33% | — | 22% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | Oct. 30–Nov. 2, 2001 | 746 LV | ±3.7% | 53% | 36% | — | 11% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim McGreevey (D) |
Donald DiFrancesco (R) |
Other/ Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | January 24–30, 2001 | 649 LV | ±4.0% | 39% | 26% | 35% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[10] | April 11–17, 2001 | 632 LV | ±4.0% | 44% | 26% | 30% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim McGreevey | 1,256,853 | 56.43% |  10.6
| |
| Republican | Bret Schundler | 928,174 | 41.68% |  5.2
| |
| Independent | Bill Schluter | 24,084 | 1.08% | N/A | |
| Green | Jerry L. Coleman | 6,238 | 0.28% | 0.16
| |
| Libertarian | Mark Edgerton | 4,684 | 0.21% | 4.51
| |
| Independent | George Watson, Jr. | 2,568 | 0.12% | N/A | |
| Conservative | Michael W. Koontz | 1,949 | 0.09% | 1.36
| |
| Socialist | Costantino Rozzo | 1,537 | 0.07% | 0.05
| |
| Socialist Workers | Kari Sachs | 1,078 | 0.05% | 0.07
| |
| Majority | 328,679 | 14.76% | +13.71% | ||
| Turnout | 2,227,165 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
Results by county[11]
| County | McGreevey votes | McGreevey % | Schundler votes | Schundler % | Other votes | Other % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 38,623 | 57.5% | 27,547 | 41.0% | 995 | 1.5% |
| Bergen | 140,215 | 55.1% | 111,221 | 43.7% | 3,106 | 1.2% |
| Burlington | 62,697 | 55.4% | 48,098 | 42.5% | 2,437 | 2.2% |
| Camden | 78,169 | 64.6% | 40,063 | 33.1% | 2,728 | 2.3% |
| Cape May | 17,118 | 48.5% | 17,471 | 49.5% | 735 | 2.1% |
| Cumberland | 19,445 | 57.7% | 13,583 | 40.3% | 668 | 2.0% |
| Essex | 129,406 | 71.9% | 48,540 | 27.0% | 2,083 | 1.2% |
| Gloucester | 41,083 | 58.1% | 28,210 | 39.9% | 1,392 | 2.0% |
| Hudson | 85,074 | 68.8% | 37,440 | 30.3% | 1,224 | 1.0% |
| Hunterdon | 13,911 | 35.3% | 23,059 | 58.4% | 2,484 | 6.3% |
| Mercer | 57,513 | 60.9% | 31,705 | 33.6% | 5,148 | 5.5% |
| Middlesex | 117,061 | 62.7% | 66,749 | 35.7% | 2,999 | 1.6% |
| Monmouth | 91,838 | 49.5% | 89,987 | 48.5% | 3,647 | 2.0% |
| Morris | 60,948 | 42.8% | 79,350 | 55.8% | 1,942 | 1.4% |
| Ocean | 84,538 | 51.2% | 77,726 | 47.1% | 2,690 | 1.6% |
| Passaic | 62,390 | 58.1% | 43,806 | 40.8% | 1,238 | 1.2% |
| Salem | 10,837 | 53.5% | 8,878 | 43.8% | 540 | 2.7% |
| Somerset | 39,110 | 45.6% | 44,815 | 52.2% | 1,903 | 2.2% |
| Sussex | 14,641 | 37.5% | 23,478 | 60.1% | 957 | 2.4% |
| Union | 79,682 | 60.3% | 50,780 | 38.4% | 1,790 | 1.4% |
| Warren | 12,554 | 42.3% | 15,668 | 52.8% | 1,432 | 4.8% |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]- Atlantic (largest municipality: Egg Harbor Township)
- Bergen (largest municipality: Hackensack)
- Monmouth (largest municipality: Middletown Township)
- Ocean (largest municipality: Lakewood)
- Salem (largest municipality: Pennsville Township)
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Official List Candidates for Governor For June 2001 Primary Election" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. April 17, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Halbfinger, David M. (June 27, 2001). "Schundler Wins G.O.P. Primary In New Jersey Governor's Race". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
- ^ Halbfinger, David M. (November 7, 2001). "THE 2001 ELECTIONS: GOVERNOR; Democrat Vows to Alter Way 'Business Is Done in Trenton'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
- ^ Peterson, Iver (February 29, 2004). "ON POLITICS; Is McGreevey Following In Florio's Footsteps?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
- ^ Kohen, Yael (August 13, 2004). "McGreevey to quit, declares 'I am a gay American'". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kocieniewski (August 1, 2000). "Torricelli, Opposed Within Party, Drops New Jersey Governor Bid". The New York Times.
- ^ Halbfinger, David M. (November 1, 2001). "A Political Rise Built on Discipline; Under McGreevey's Self-Deprecation, The Heart of a True Political Animal". The New York Times.
Fifteen months ago, with no challenger in sight, Mr. McGreevey was suddenly underestimated again, by Senator Robert G. Torricelli, who in a catastrophic miscalculation tried to wrest the nomination from him.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "New Jersey, Senate & Presidential Elections 2008 Results & Polls". NJ.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
- ^ "New Jersey November 2001 Off Year Election". TheGreenPapers.com. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rutgers-Eagleton
- ^ a b "Official List Candidates for Governor For November 2001 General Election" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. April 17, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
Official campaign websites