2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election
November 6, 2001
 
Nominee Jim McGreevey Bret Schundler
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,256,853 928,174
Percentage 56.4% 41.7%
McGreevey:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Schundler:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Richard Codey (acting)
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Jim McGreevey
Democratic

The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It 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 Bret Schundler.[3] — the first majority-elected governor since James Florio in 1989.[4] Democrats simultaneously ended Republican control of both houses of the legislature after 10 years.

This is also the most recent statewide election in which the Democrat won Monmouth and Ocean counties. This was the first time since 1973 that a Democrat won without carrying Cape May County. McGreevey resigned in November 2004 after admitting that he was a gay man and ethical issues surrounding his governorship; he was succeeded by Senate President Richard Codey, who filled the remainder of McGreevey's term until January 2006.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Withdrew

Results

Democratic Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim McGreevey 250,404 95.54%
Democratic Elliot Greenspan 11,682 4.46%
Total votes 262,086 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Withdrew

Declined

  • Jack Collins, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996

Campaign

Towards the end of his tenure as mayor, Schundler served as chairman of the Hudson County Republican Committee, and in 2001, Schundler won the Republican gubernatorial nomination, facing former Congressman Bob Franks, a considerably more moderate Republican who was favored by the party establishment. Franks entered the race in April, two months before the primary, after Gov. Donald DiFrancesco dropped out of the race because of an unending series of newspaper stories highlighting ethics concerns. He was backed by Gov. DiFrancesco's political organization and endorsed by every county Republican committee except Schundler's base in Hudson County.

Schundler employed a more grassroots style of campaigning, visiting many local GOP organizations and forming close relationships with the Young Republicans and the College Republicans, as well as with conservative groups, including those active in homeschooling issues. The grassroots support he built up enabled him to win the nomination by a robust 15-point margin.

Results

Republican Primary results[1]
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

Candidates

Campaign

After winning the primary, Schundler tried to reunite the party by reaching out to the figures who had endorsed Franks. This included having a unity lunch with Franks which was hosted by former Gov. Thomas Kean, and retaining New Jersey State Senator Joe Kyrillos as state party chairman. Kyrillos had been appointed by DiFrancesco as state party chairman six weeks before the primary, and he had supported Franks in the primary. However, the party remained split. Jim McGreevey, the Democratic candidate, exploited this division by painting Schundler as too conservative for New Jersey.

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size[lower-alpha 2]		 Margin
of error		 Jim
McGreevey (D)		 Bret
Schundler (R)		 Bill
Schluter (I)		 Other/
Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton January 24–30, 2001 649 RV ±4.0% 43% 19% — 37%
Rutgers-Eagleton April 11–17, 2001 632 RV ±4.0% 46% 22% — 32%
Rutgers-Eagleton August 15–21, 2001 395 LV ±5.0% 54% 33% — 14%
48% 29% 4% 20%
Rutgers-Eagleton September 22–26, 2001 424 LV ±4.0% 46% 31% — 24%
Rutgers-Eagleton October 13–17, 2001 449 LV ±4.7% 45% 33% — 22%
Rutgers-Eagleton Oct. 30–Nov. 2, 2001 746 LV ±3.7% 53% 36% — 11%
  1. ↑ In 2006, DiFrancesco was retroactively named the 51st Governor of New Jersey by an act of the legislature, but at the time of this election, his title was Acting Governor.
  2. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    PV – "probable" voters
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Jim
McGreevey (D)		 Donald
DiFrancesco (R)		 Other/
Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton January 24–30, 2001 649 LV ±4.0% 39% 26% 35%
Rutgers-Eagleton April 11–17, 2001 632 LV ±4.0% 44% 26% 30%

Results

New Jersey Gubernatorial Election, 2001[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jim McGreevey 1,256,853 56.43% Increase 10.6
Republican Bret Schundler 928,174 41.68% Decrease 5.2
Independent Bill Schluter 24,084 1.08% N/A
Green Jerry L. Coleman 6,238 0.28% Decrease 0.16
Libertarian Mark Edgerton 4,684 0.21% Decrease 4.51
Independent George Watson, Jr. 2,568 0.12% N/A
Conservative Michael W. Koontz 1,949 0.09% Decrease 1.36
Socialist Costantino Rozzo 1,537 0.07% Decrease 0.05
Socialist Workers Kari Sachs 1,078 0.05% Decrease 0.07
Majority 328,679 14.76% +13.71%
Turnout 2,227,165
Democratic gain from Republican Swing
Results by county[9]
County McGreevey votes McGreevey % Schundler votes Schundler % Other votes Other %
Atlantic38,62357.5%27,54741.0%9951.5%
Bergen140,21555.1%111,22143.7%3,1061.2%
Burlington62,69755.4%48,09842.5%2,4372.2%
Camden78,16964.6%40,06333.1%2,7282.3%
Cape May17,11848.5%17,47149.5%7352.1%
Cumberland19,44557.7%13,58340.3%6682.0%
Essex129,40671.9%48,54027.0%2,0831.2%
Gloucester41,08358.1%28,21039.9%1,3922.0%
Hudson85,07468.8%37,44030.3%1,2241.0%
Hunterdon13,91135.3%23,05958.4%2,4846.3%
Mercer57,51360.9%31,70533.6%5,1485.5%
Middlesex117,06162.7%66,74935.7%2,9991.6%
Monmouth91,83849.5%89,98748.5%3,6472.0%
Morris60,94842.8%79,35055.8%1,9421.4%
Ocean84,53851.2%77,72647.1%2,6901.6%
Passaic62,39058.1%43,80640.8%1,2381.2%
Salem10,83753.5%8,87843.8%5402.7%
Somerset39,11045.6%44,81552.2%1,9032.2%
Sussex14,64137.5%23,47860.1%9572.4%
Union79,68260.3%50,78038.4%1,7901.4%
Warren12,55442.3%15,66852.8%1,4324.8%

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "Official List Candidates for Governor For June 2001 Primary Election" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. April 17, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
    2. ↑ 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.
    3. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (August 7, 2001). "THE 2001 ELECTIONS: GOVERNOR; Democrat Vows to Alter Way 'Business Is Done in Trenton'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
    4. ↑ Peterson, Iver (February 29, 2004). "ON POLITICS; Is McGreevey Following In Florio's Footsteps?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
    5. ↑ Kocieniewski (August 1, 2000). "Torricelli, Opposed Within Party, Drops New Jersey Governor Bid". The New York Times.
    6. ↑ 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.
    7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "New Jersey, Senate & Presidential Elections 2008 Results & Polls". NJ.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
    8. ↑ "New Jersey November 2001 Off Year Election". TheGreenPapers.com. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
    9. 1 2 "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

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