1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey

Last updated

1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey
Flag of New Jersey (1896-1965).png
  1911 November 7, 1916 1922  
  Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen, Sr.jpg James Edgar Martine circa 1915 (cropped).jpg
Nominee Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. James E. Martine
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote244,715170,019
Percentage55.99%38.90%

1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey results map by county.svg
County results
Martine:      40–50%     50–60%
Frelinghuysen:      50–60%     60–70%

Senator before election

James E. Martine
Democratic

Elected Senator

Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr.
Republican

The United States Senate election of 1916 in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1916.

Contents

Incumbent Democratic Senator James E. Martine ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated by Republican State Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr.

Primary elections were held on September 26. [1] Senator Martine defeated a challenge from John W. Wescott, the Attorney General of New Jersey and an ally of President Woodrow Wilson. The Republican nomination narrowly went to State Senator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. over former Governor Franklin Murphy.

This was the first popular election for United States Senator in New Jersey history, following the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This was also the first of four straight elections to this seat in which the incumbent was defeated.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Senator Martine drew a primary challenge from Woodrow Wilson ally John W. Wescott, the state Attorney General. Wescott's strong alliance with President Wilson and Martine's opposition to administration policy on World War I and general Anglophobia led some Democrats to think him vulnerable. [3] Martine had previously said that he would rather retire to his Union County farm than go to the White House "for orders." [4]

A third candidate from Newark, Frank McDermit, may have drawn away Martine supporters in Essex County. Wescott had the support of the Essex County machine. [3]

Results

Martine defeated Wescott by a large margin in Hudson County and won the strong support of ethnic Germans, who approved of his critical stance on Wilson's war policy. Despite strong opposition from the Nugent machine in Essex and McDermit's candidacy, Martine carried the county narrowly with a plurality. [3] [5]

1916 Democratic U.S. Senate primary [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic James E. Martine (incumbent) 50,961 48.76%
Democratic John W. Wescott 29,62728.35%
Democratic Frank M. McDermit17,37316.62%
Democratic August M. Bruggeman6,5596.28%
Total votes104,520 100.00%
NoneBlank votes14,993
Turnout 119,513100.00%

Given his close alliance with Wilson personally and politically, Wescott's loss was seen as a blow to the administration and Wilson's re-election hopes. [4]

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

In the campaign, the statewide party machine backed Murphy. [3] Opponents also accused Frelinghuysen of non-residency, given that his winter home and business were in New York. [3] Frelinghuysen was also opposed by automobile owners, based on his record as State Senator. [3] On primary day, most observers expected Murphy to win. [3]

Results

Frelinghuysen won a surprise victory over Murphy, who managed only a small plurality of under 5,000 in his home base of Essex County. [3] [5]

1916 Republican U.S. Senate primary [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Joseph Frelinghuysen 89,361 52.31%
Republican Franklin Murphy 81,48347.69%
Total votes170,844 100.00%
NoneBlank votes16,570
Turnout 187,414100.00%

Results by county

1916 Republican U.S. Senate primary [5]
CountyFrelinghuysen%Murphy%Total
Atlantic 3,80843.6%4,92856.4%8,736
Bergen 5,43746.3%6,30753.7%11,744
Burlington 4,82666.3%2,45233.7%7,278
Camden 6,42741.0%9,23159.0%15,658
Cape May 1,17041.7%1,63358.3%2,803
Cumberland 1,97148.7%2,07751.3%4,048
Essex 14,50142.9%19,26757.1%33,768
Gloucester 2,34466.0%1,20734.0%3,551
Hudson 8,46656.7%6,46243.3%14,928
Hunterdon 1,23281.5%27918.5%1,511
Mercer 5,75757.2%4,30642.8%10,063
Middlesex 3,09761.5%1,94238.5%5,039
Monmouth 3,48355.4%2,80544.6%6,288
Morris 3,81753.9%3,26646.1%7,083
Ocean 1,62261.4%1,02038.6%2,642
Passaic 9,41653.7%8,11846.3%17,534
Salem 1,01670.9%42829.1%1,434
Somerset 3,15788.6%40711.4%3,564
Sussex 53441.2%76358.8%1,297
Union 6,48662.5%3,88437.5%10,370
Warren 79453.1%70146.9%1,495

General election

Candidates

Results

1916 United States Senate election in New Jersey [6] [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. 244,715 55.99%
Democratic James E. Martine (incumbent)170,01938.90%
Socialist William C. Doughty13,3583.06%
Prohibition Livingston Barbour7,1780.11%
Socialist Labor Rudolph Katz1,8260.42%
Total votes437,096 100.00%

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James E. Martine</span> American politician

James Edgar Martine was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1911 to 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The 1970 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democrat Harrison A. Williams defeated Republican nominee Nelson G. Gross with 54.02% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 4, 2006, to determine who will represent the state of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives. New Jersey has thirteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.

Michael A. Giuliano was an American Republican Party politician who served two terms in the New Jersey Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 New Jersey Senate election</span>

The 1973 New Jersey State Senate Senate elections were held on November 6. The result of the elections were large gains for the Democratic Party, which won control of the Senate. The party picked up twelve seats. This election marked the first time since 1967 that Democrats controlled the State Senate.

The 1971 New Jersey State Senate Elections was the mid-term election of Republican William Cahill's term as Governor of New Jersey. Democrats picked up seven Senate seats. Sixteen incumbents did not seek re-election.

Essex County is New Jersey's largest county and its county seat, Newark, is New Jersey's largest city. Essex has been predominantly Democratic since the early 1970s. Essex was a politically competitive (swing) county for decades before that.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election</span>

The 1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1985. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean won a landslide re-election against the Democratic candidate, Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro. As of 2024, Kean's is the largest margin in terms of percentage and raw votes in all New Jersey gubernatorial elections. Kean was the first Republican to be re-elected governor since 1949, and the first Republican to ever win two four-year terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1910 New Jersey gubernatorial election</span>

The 1910 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1910. Democratic nominee and future President Woodrow Wilson defeated Republican Assemblyman Vivian M. Lewis with 53.93% of the vote. During the campaign, Wilson underwent a political transformation from a symbol of conservative Wall Street reaction into one of the leading members of his party's progressive faction. His victory was widely understood to be the prelude to his campaign for the presidency in 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1901 New Jersey gubernatorial election</span>

The 1901 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1901. Republican nominee Franklin Murphy defeated Democratic nominee James M. Seymour with 50.88% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Jersey. It was held concurrently with the 2020 United States presidential election, as well as various other elections. The primary elections were moved from June 2, 2020, to July 7, 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Incumbent senator Cory Booker was first elected in a 2013 special election to complete the term of fellow Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who died in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1911 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span> Election

The 1911 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on January 24–25, 1911. Republican incumbent John Kean did not run for re-election to a third term. The open seat was won by Democrat James Edgar Martine with Republican former Governor Edward C. Stokes as the runner-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1913 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The 1913 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on January 28, 1913. Republican incumbent Frank O. Briggs ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democratic judge and former U.S. Representative William Hughes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1918 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The 1918 United States Senate elections in New Jersey were held on November 7, 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1922 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span> United States Senate election in New Jersey

The United States Senate election of 1922 in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1928 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The United States Senate election of 1928 in New Jersey was held on November 6, 1928. Incumbent Democratic Senator Edward I. Edwards ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated by Hamilton Fish Kean in a landslide. This was the third of four straight elections to this seat in which the incumbents were defeated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 New Jersey Senate election</span>

The 2017 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 7, 2017, to elect Senators for all 40 legislative districts across New Jersey. These elections coincided with the election of Governor Phil Murphy. The winners of this election serve in the 218th New Jersey Legislature, with seats apportioned based on the 2010 United States census. The Democratic Party grew its majority in the Senate, with incumbent Senate President Steve Sweeney re-elected to the top leadership post. Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. continued to lead his party as Minority Leader. This was the first state Senate election cycle in 10 years where any party flipped a Senate seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey</span>

The 2004 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 2, 2004 to determine who will represent the people of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives. This election coincided with national elections for U.S. President, and the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. There was no concurrent election for Senator or Governor in the state. New Jersey has thirteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 United States Senate election in New Jersey</span>

The 1958 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 4, 1958.

References

  1. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey . M.R. Dennis & Co. 1917. p. 288.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Candidates to be Voted For" . Keyport Weekly. September 15, 1916. p. 4. There are six candidates for United States Senator; four Democrats and two Republicans. The candidate, the party they represent and the designation to be printed on their ballots are: August M. Bruggeman, Hoboken, Democrat; James E. Martine, Democrat; Frank McDermit, Newark, Democrat, "Democrat;" James W. Westcott (sic), Haddonfield, Democrat; Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, Raritan, Republican, "Republican;" Franklin Murphy, Newark, Republican, "Republican Party."
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "GERMAN-AMERICAN VOTES IN JERSEY WIN FOR MARTINE" . The New York Times . September 28, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "MARTINE LEADS WESCOTT IN THE JERSEY PRIMARIES" . The New York Times . September 27, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey . M.R. Dennis & Co. 1917. p. 163.
  6. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1916" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  7. "Our Campaigns - NJ US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1916". www.ourcampaigns.com.