2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election

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2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election
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Nominee Jim McGreevey Bret Schundler
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote1,256,853928,174
Percentage56.4%41.7%
2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election by Congressional District.svg
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 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]

Contents

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

Candidates

Withdrew

Declined

Campaign

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

Democratic Primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jim McGreevey 250,404 95.54%
Democratic Elliot Greenspan11,6824.46%
Total votes262,086 100.00%

Aftermath

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

Candidates

Withdrew

Declined

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

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Donald
DiFrancesco		Bob
Franks		Bret
Schundler		Other/
Undecided
Quinnipiac [8] November 28–December 4, 2000372 RV±5.1%10%45%9%37%
Quinnipiac [9] January 30–February 5, 2001310 RV±5.6%45%–16%39%
Quinnipiac [10] February 28–March 4, 2001347 RV±5.3%46%–24%29%
Quinnipiac [11] April 3–9, 2001357 RV±5.2%39%–27%34%
Quinnipiac [12] May 1–8, 2001331 RV±5.4%–46%24%30%
Quinnipiac [13] June 14–18, 2001415 LV±4.8%–39%54%8%

Results

Republican Primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bret Schundler 193,342 57.38%
Republican Bob Franks143,60642.62%
Total votes336,948 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [a] 		Margin
of error		Jim
McGreevey (D)		Bret
Schundler (R)		Bill
Schluter (I)		Other/
Undecided
Quinnipiac [8] November 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%40%24%—36%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] January 24–30, 2001649 RV±4.0%43%19%—37%
Quinnipiac [9] January 30–February 5, 20011,156 RV±2.9%46%22%—36%
Quinnipiac [10] February 28–March 4, 20011,129 RV±2.9%45%31%—24%
Quinnipiac [11] April 3–9, 20011,145 RV±2.9%43%27%—30%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] April 11–17, 2001632 RV±4.0%46%22%—32%
Quinnipiac [12] May 1–8, 20011,181 RV±2.9%48%27%—25%
Quinnipiac [17] June 27–July 1, 2001851 RV±3.4%48%35%—17%
Quinnipiac [18] July 29–August 5, 20011,235 RV±2.8%49%30%—21%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] August 15–21, 2001395 LV±5.0%54%33%—14%
48%29%4%20%
Quinnipiac [19] September 19–24, 20011,406 RV±2.6%44%30%—27%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] September 22–26, 2001424 LV±4.0%46%31%—24%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] October 13–17, 2001449 LV±4.7%45%33%—22%
Quinnipiac [20] October 10–15, 2001742 LV±3.6%49%39%—12%
1,140 RV±2.9%49%35%—15%
Quinnipiac [21] October 23–28, 2001746 LV±3.7%52%35%—12%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] October 30–November 2, 2001746 LV±3.7%53%36%—11%
Quinnipiac [22] October 29–November 4, 2001505 LV±4.4%48%39%—13%
  1. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    PV – "probable" voters
Hypothetical polling
with Donald DiFrancesco
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Jim
McGreevey (D)		Donald
DiFrancesco (R)		Other/
Undecided
Quinnipiac [8] November 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%41%26%34%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] January 24–30, 2001649 LV±4.0%39%26%35%
Quinnipiac [9] January 30–February 5, 20011,156 RV±2.9%40%32%28%
Quinnipiac [10] February 28–March 4, 20011,129 RV±2.9%41%37%22%
Quinnipiac [11] February 28–March 4, 20011,145 RV±2.9%42%33%24%
Rutgers-Eagleton [16] April 11–17, 2001632 LV±4.0%44%26%30%
with Bob Franks
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Jim
McGreevey (D)		Bob
Franks (R)		Other/
Undecided
Quinnipiac [8] November 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%38%35%28%
Quinnipiac [12] May 1–8, 20011,181 RV±2.9%44%35%21%

Results

New Jersey Gubernatorial Election, 2001 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Jim McGreevey 1,256,853 56.43% Increase2.svg 10.6
Republican Bret Schundler 928,17441.68%Decrease2.svg 5.2
Independent Bill Schluter 24,0841.08%N/A
Green Jerry L. Coleman6,2380.28%Decrease2.svg 0.16
Libertarian Mark Edgerton4,6840.21%Decrease2.svg 4.51
Independent George Watson, Jr.2,5680.12%N/A
Conservative Michael W. Koontz1,9490.09%Decrease2.svg 1.36
Socialist Costantino Rozzo1,5370.07%Decrease2.svg 0.05
Socialist Workers Kari Sachs1,0780.05%Decrease2.svg 0.07
Majority 328,67914.76%+13.71%
Turnout 2,227,165
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

Results by county [23]

CountyMcGreevey votesMcGreevey %Schundler votesSchundler %Other votesOther %
Atlantic 38,62357.5%27,54741.0%9951.5%
Bergen 140,21555.1%111,22143.7%3,1061.2%
Burlington 62,69755.4%48,09842.5%2,4372.2%
Camden 78,16964.6%40,06333.1%2,7282.3%
Cape May 17,11848.5%17,47149.5%7352.1%
Cumberland 19,44557.7%13,58340.3%6682.0%
Essex 129,40671.9%48,54027.0%2,0831.2%
Gloucester 41,08358.1%28,21039.9%1,3922.0%
Hudson 85,07468.8%37,44030.3%1,2241.0%
Hunterdon 13,91135.3%23,05958.4%2,4846.3%
Mercer 57,51360.9%31,70533.6%5,1485.5%
Middlesex 117,06162.7%66,74935.7%2,9991.6%
Monmouth 91,83849.5%89,98748.5%3,6472.0%
Morris 60,94842.8%79,35055.8%1,9421.4%
Ocean 84,53851.2%77,72647.1%2,6901.6%
Passaic 62,39058.1%43,80640.8%1,2381.2%
Salem 10,83753.5%8,87843.8%5402.7%
Somerset 39,11045.6%44,81552.2%1,9032.2%
Sussex 14,64137.5%23,47860.1%9572.4%
Union 79,68260.3%50,78038.4%1,7901.4%
Warren 12,55442.3%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 June 12, 2025.
    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. (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.
    4. ↑ Peterson, Iver (February 29, 2004). "ON POLITICS; Is McGreevey Following In Florio's Footsteps?". The New York Times . Retrieved March 11, 2008.
    5. ↑ 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.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kocieniewski (August 1, 2000). "Torricelli, Opposed Within Party, Drops New Jersey Governor Bid". The New York Times .
    7. ↑ 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.
    8. 1 2 3 4 "McGreevey, Franks Early Leaders In New Jersey Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Whitman Has Highest Approval In Four Years". December 6, 2000. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    9. 1 2 3 "McGreevey Leads DiFrancesco, Schundler In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Whitman Scored High On Environment, Low On Race Relations". February 7, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    10. 1 2 3 "DiFrancesco Closes Gap With McGreevey In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Bush Jumps Out To 2 -1 Approval Rating". March 8, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    11. 1 2 3 "DiFrancesco Slips Against McGreevey In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Schundler Inches Up In Republican Primary". April 11, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    12. 1 2 3 "McGreevey Leads Franks, Schundler In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Franks Ahead In Republican Primary, But Race Could Be Close". May 10, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    13. ↑ "Schundler Leads Franks In New Jersey GOP Primary, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; But GOP Likely Voters Expect Franks To Win". June 20, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    14. 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.
    15. ↑ "New Jersey November 2001 Off Year Election". TheGreenPapers.com. Retrieved March 10, 2008.
    16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rutgers-Eagleton
    17. ↑ "McGreevey Leads Schundler In New Jersey Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Education Emerges As Most Important Issue". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. July 3, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    18. ↑ "McGreevey Widens Lead, Close To 50% In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; DiFrancesco, Torricelli Approval Ratings Up". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. August 7, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    19. ↑ "McGreevey Slips But Still Leads In NJ Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Most Voters Approve Return To Campaigning". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. September 27, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    20. ↑ "McGreevey Leads 49 - 39 Among NJ Likely Voters, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Schundler Trails Democrat On Most Traits". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. October 17, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    21. ↑ "McGreevey Over 50 Percent In New Jersey Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Issues Work Against Schundler". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. October 30, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    22. ↑ "McGreevey Leads Schundler 48-39 In Jersey Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. November 5, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
    23. 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.

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