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Turnout | 38.5% [1] (![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
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Murphy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Guadagno: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No votes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in New Jersey |
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The 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017, to elect a new governor of New Jersey. Incumbent Republican governor Chris Christie was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. [2]
Primary elections took place on June 6, 2017. Kim Guadagno, the incumbent lieutenant governor of New Jersey, won the Republican primary for governor and chose Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo as her running mate. Phil Murphy, a banker and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, won the Democratic primary, and chose former State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver as his running mate. Seth Kaper-Dale ran as the Green Party candidate with Lisa Durden, while Pete Rohrman ran as the Libertarian Party candidate with Karrese Laguerre. Matt Riccardi ran as the Constitution Party candidate. There were two other independent candidates on the ballot.
Murphy led throughout the general election, with many analysts expecting a Democratic pickup. When polls closed on Election Day, Murphy was immediately declared the winner, based on exit polling alone. Murphy received 56.0% of the vote to Guadagno's 41.9%. [3] Murphy slightly outperformed Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential run in the state. With the election of Sheila Oliver as lieutenant governor, she became the first woman of color elected to statewide office in New Jersey. 38.5% of registered voters cast ballots, marking the lowest turnout on record for any gubernatorial election in New Jersey. [4] Guadagno later left the Republican Party in July 2021. [5] [6]
2017 was the first New Jersey gubernatorial election since 1989 in which the Democratic candidate won Somerset County, as well as the first since 2005 in which the Democratic candidate won Burlington County, Middlesex County, Atlantic County, or Gloucester County; the latter two counties have not voted Democratic for governor since. Murphy became the first New Jersey governor since Brendan Byrne in 1973 to win without any prior elected experience, and the first since Charles Edison in 1940 to win without having held any prior public office in the state. This is the first gubernatorial election since 1937 in which the Democratic nominee won without winning Salem County, and the first since 1981 that it voted for the losing candidate. This is the last time that the winner of the New Jersey gubernatorial election won a majority of New Jersey's counties.
Primary elections took place on June 6, 2017. [7] New Jersey utilizes a semi-closed primary system, meaning that only registered party members may vote in primary elections. However, unaffiliated voters can change their party registration and vote in either party primary on election day. [8] [9]
The deadline to file petitions to qualify for primary elections was April 3; eleven contenders submitted petitions satisfying the requirement of 1,000 signatures. [10] On April 18, as is required by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the candidates' financial disclosures, showing sources of earned income (e.g. salaries) and unearned income (e.g. investments), were made public. [11]
Gubernatorial primary candidates utilized what is known as the "matching funds" program. Those who raised at least $430,000 qualified to receive two dollars in public money for every dollar raised privately. State law mandates that any primary candidates who qualify for matching funds must participate in at least two primary debates. Candidates who choose not to seek matching funds but commit to raising and spending at least $430,000 can also participate. [12] [13] As of May 8, primary candidates had received donations from ten states other than New Jersey. [14]
The first debates were held on May 9, hosted by Stockton University. The Republicans debated first followed by the Democrats. The debates were live-streamed on Facebook, the university's website via Livestream, and on News 12 New Jersey. The live stream was simulcast in Spanish. [15] The second Democratic debate was held on May 11, the second Republican debate on May 18. [16] They were co-hosted by PBS Member network NJTV and NJ Spotlight. [17]
The Republican debates included two of the five candidates: Jack Ciattarelli and Kim Guadagno, who both qualified for matching funds. [12] [18] Hirsh Singh filed a lawsuit to enter the debates, claiming to have raised over $900,000 despite missing a deadline to file; his challenge was rejected by the state courts. [19] [20]
The Democratic debates included four of the six candidates: Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski (who both qualified for matching funds), Phil Murphy (who opted out of matching funds but had spent enough to qualify), and Raymond Lesniak (who did not raise enough to qualify for matching funds but loaned his campaign enough money to qualify for the debates). [12] [18]
Primary campaign finance activity through June 23, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Jack Ciattarelli | $1,768,417 | $1,731,962 | $36,337 |
Kim Guadagno | $3,540,927 | $3,451,743 | $89,184 |
Steven Rogers | $27,522 | $27,522 | $0 |
Joseph Rudy Rullo | $13,573 | $9,809 | $64 |
Hirsh Singh | $1,021,387 | $1,016,191 | $5,196 |
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission [37] |
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Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jack Ciattarelli | Kim Guadagno | Steven Rogers | Joseph Rudy Rullo | Hirsh Singh | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stockton University [43] | May 16–23, 2017 | 389 | ± 4.9% | 18% | 37% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 31% |
Stockton University [43] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 359 | – | 19% | 29% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 41% |
Quinnipiac University [44] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 331 | ± 5.4% | 12% | 23% | 5% | 3% | — | 1% | 51% |
Fairleigh Dickinson University [45] | March 22–26, 2017 | 216 | ± 6.7% | 5% | 24% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 14% [n 1] | 54% |
Quinnipiac University [46] | March 9–13, 2017 | 315 | ± 5.5% | 3% | 28% | 2% | 1% | — | 19% [n 2] | 42% |
Fairleigh Dickinson University [47] | January 25–29, 2017 | 275 | ± 5.9% | 2% | 18% | 2% | 0% | — | 25% [n 3] | 52% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Kim Guadagno | 113,846 | 46.70% | |
Republican | Jack Ciattarelli | 75,556 | 30.99% | |
Republican | Hirsh Singh | 23,728 | 9.73% | |
Republican | Joseph R. Rullo | 15,816 | 6.49% | |
Republican | Steven Rogers | 14,187 | 5.82% | |
Republican | Write-In | 638 | 0.27% | |
Total votes | 243,771 | 100.00% |
Primary campaign finance activity through June 23, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Bill Brennan | $20,847 | $20,847 | $0 |
Jim Johnson | $3,256,514 | $3,198,226 | $58,288 |
Raymond Lesniak | $791,368 | $718,619 | $64,990 |
Phil Murphy | $21,995,248 | $21,735,597 | $262,951 |
John Wisniewski | $2,142,139 | $2,081,439 | $60,795 |
Mark Zinna | $33,498 | $32,622 | $877 |
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission [37] |
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Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Bill Brennan | Jim Johnson | Raymond Lesniak | Phil Murphy | John Wisniewski | Mark Zinna | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stockton University [43] | May 16–23, 2017 | 403 | ± 4.9% | 3% | 10% | 4% | 34% | 9% | 1% | 1% | 33% |
Stockton University [43] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 385 | – | 2% | 6% | 5% | 37% | 8% | 0% | — | 41% |
Quinnipiac University [44] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 519 | ± 4.3% | 3% | 7% | 4% | 26% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 52% |
The Mellman Group [95] | April 26–30, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 0% | 4% | 3% | 37% | 7% | 0% | — | 49% |
Fairleigh Dickinson University [45] | March 22–26, 2017 | 386 | ± 5% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 23% | 4% | 0% | 10% [n 1] | 53% |
Quinnipiac University [46] | March 9–13, 2017 | 450 | ± 4.6% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 23% | 6% | — | — | 57% |
Fairleigh Dickinson University [47] | January 25–29, 2017 | 410 | ± 4.8% | — | 2% | 7% | 17% | 6% | — | 17% | 50% |
Lake Research Partners (D-Johnson) [96] | November 17–21, 2016 | 400 | ± 4.9% | — | 8% | — | 22% | 10% | — | — | 59% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Phil Murphy | 243,643 | 48.37% | |
Democratic | Jim Johnson | 110,250 | 21.89% | |
Democratic | John Wisniewski | 108,532 | 21.55% | |
Democratic | Raymond J. Lesniak | 24,318 | 4.83% | |
Democratic | William Brennan | 11,263 | 2.24% | |
Democratic | Mark Zinna | 5,213 | 1.03% | |
Democratic | Write-In | 463 | 0.09% | |
Total votes | 503,682 | 100.00% |
Seven candidates were on the ballot in the November general election, the lowest number in a New Jersey gubernatorial contest since six ran in 1989. [109]
The following candidates have qualified to appear in the state-sponsored debates: [110]
The following third-party or independent candidates qualified for the ballot but did not raise enough money to qualify for state-sponsored debates:
Dates | Location | Murphy | Guadagno | Link |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 10, 2017 | Newark, New Jersey | Participant | Participant | [116] - C-SPAN |
October 18, 2017 | Wayne, New Jersey | Participant | Participant | [117] - C-SPAN |
General election campaign finance activity through November 24, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Kim Guadagno | $5,748,740 | $5,616,120 | $132,621 |
Phil Murphy | $14,715,173 | $14,517,279 | $197,895 |
Pete Rohrman [n 1] | $7,765 | $6,142 | $1,623 |
Seth Kaper-Dale | $104,321 | $114,221 | –$2,701 |
Matt Riccardi | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Gina Genovese | $52,146 | $50,558 | $0 |
Vincent Ross | <$5,100 | <$5,100 | <$5,100 |
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission [118] |
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Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report [233] | Likely D (flip) | October 6, 2017 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [234] | Safe D (flip) | October 13, 2017 |
Rothenberg Political Report [235] | Likely D (flip) | October 27, 2017 |
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kim Guadagno (R) | Phil Murphy (D) | Other | Undecided |
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Change Research [236] | November 1–5, 2017 | 2,040 | ± 2.8% | 42% | 58% | — | — |
Quinnipiac University [237] | October 30 – November 5, 2017 | 662 | ± 5.2% | 41% | 53% | — | 5% |
Rasmussen Reports [238] | October 31 – November 1, 2017 | 800 | ± 4% | 35% | 50% | 5% | 10% |
Gravis Marketing [239] | October 30 – November 1, 2017 | 611 | ± 4% | 32% | 46% | 7% [n 1] | 15% |
Monmouth University [240] | October 27–31, 2017 | 529 | ± 4.3% | 39% | 53% | 2% | 7% |
Emerson College [241] | October 26–28, 2017 | 540 | ± 4.2% | 31% | 47% | 8% | 14% |
Suffolk University [242] | October 25–28, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 33% | 49% | 6% [n 2] | 12% |
Quinnipiac University [243] | October 19–24, 2017 | 1,049 | ± 4.2% | 37% | 57% | 1% | 5% |
Stockton University [244] | October 18–24, 2017 | 525 | ± 4.3% | 37% | 51% | 4% | 7% |
FOX News [245] | October 14–16, 2017 | 679 LV | ± 3.5% | 33% | 47% | 8% | 11% |
804 RV | ± 3.5% | 31% | 46% | 9% | 13% | ||
Fairleigh Dickinson University [246] | October 11–15, 2017 | 658 | ± 4.5% | 32% | 47% | 5% | 13% |
Stockton University [247] | October 4–12, 2017 | 585 | ± 4.1% | 33% | 51% | 7% | 7% |
Monmouth University [248] | September 28 – October 1, 2017 | 452 | ± 4.6% | 37% | 51% | 2% | 9% |
Emerson College [249] | September 28 – October 1, 2017 | 300 | ± 5.6% | 35% | 46% | 7% [n 3] | 12% |
Suffolk University [250] | September 19–23, 2017 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 25% | 44% | 6% [n 4] | 24% |
FOX News [251] | September 17–19, 2017 | 804 | ± 3.5% | 29% | 42% | 9% [n 5] | 19% |
Quinnipiac University [252] | September 7–12, 2017 | 875 | ± 4.5% | 33% | 58% | 2% | 7% |
Marist College [253] | July 13–18, 2017 | 817 | ± 3.4% | 33% | 54% | 1% | 12% |
Monmouth University [254] | July 6–9, 2017 | 758 | ± 3.6% | 26% | 53% | 6% | 14% |
National Research Inc. (R-Guadagno) [255] | June 25–27, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 28% | 42% | 9% | 21% |
Quinnipiac University [256] | June 7–12, 2017 | 1,103 | ± 3.8% | 26% | 55% | 3% | 14% |
Quinnipiac University [44] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 1,209 | ± 2.8% | 25% | 50% | 1% | 21% |
Quinnipiac University [46] | March 9–13, 2017 | 1,098 | ± 3% | 25% | 47% | 1% | 25% |
Quinnipiac University [257] | January 26–30, 2017 | 1,240 | ± 2.8% | 29% | 45% | 1% | 22% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kim Guadagno (R) | Phil Murphy (D) | Joe Piscopo (I) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quinnipiac University [44] | April 26 – May 1, 2017 | 1,209 | ± 2.8% | 21% | 41% | 14% | 21% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Phil Murphy | 1,203,110 | 56.03% | ![]() | |
Republican | Kim Guadagno | 899,583 | 41.89% | ![]() | |
Independent | Gina Genovese | 12,294 | 0.57% | N/A | |
Libertarian | Peter J. Rohrman | 10,531 | 0.49% | ![]() | |
Green | Seth Kaper-Dale | 10,053 | 0.47% | ![]() | |
Constitution | Matthew Riccardi | 6,864 | 0.32% | N/A | |
Independent | Vincent Ross | 4,980 | 0.29% | N/A | |
Total votes | 2,147,415 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
County | Murphy % | Murphy votes | Guadagno % | Guadagno votes | Other % | Other votes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic | 55.1% | 36,952 | 42.5% | 28,456 | 2.4% | 1,607 |
Bergen | 56.7% | 129,265 | 41.6% | 94,904 | 1.6% | 3,760 |
Burlington | 56.5% | 70,453 | 41.8% | 52,191 | 1.7% | 2,070 |
Camden | 67.2% | 81,268 | 30.7% | 37,113 | 2.1% | 2,534 |
Cape May | 44.8% | 13,566 | 53.2% | 16,118 | 2.0% | 600 |
Cumberland | 55.3% | 15,686 | 41.8% | 11,876 | 2.9% | 828 |
Essex | 79.6% | 129,470 | 18.8% | 30,633 | 1.6% | 2,598 |
Gloucester | 55.2% | 42,349 | 42.3% | 32,448 | 2.5% | 1,898 |
Hudson | 80.5% | 88,271 | 17.5% | 19,236 | 2.0% | 2,170 |
Hunterdon | 39.0% | 17,697 | 58.9% | 26,708 | 2.1% | 945 |
Mercer | 64.9% | 59,992 | 33.1% | 30,645 | 2.0% | 1,846 |
Middlesex | 57.2% | 100,847 | 40.3% | 70,940 | 2.5% | 4,418 |
Monmouth | 43.0% | 79,432 | 55.0% | 101,525 | 1.9% | 3,572 |
Morris | 45.1% | 65,507 | 53.1% | 77,203 | 1.8% | 2,617 |
Ocean | 35.8% | 56,582 | 62.1% | 98,135 | 2.1% | 3,279 |
Passaic | 60.1% | 57,415 | 38.0% | 36,230 | 1.9% | 1,810 |
Salem | 45.3% | 7,814 | 50.1% | 8,629 | 4.6% | 794 |
Somerset | 49.8% | 45,935 | 47.9% | 44,231 | 2.3% | 2,107 |
Sussex | 36.3% | 15,431 | 59.7% | 25,401 | 4.0% | 1,717 |
Union | 65.2% | 79,113 | 32.6% | 39,552 | 2.2% | 2,594 |
Warren | 35.4% | 10,065 | 61.2% | 17,409 | 3.4% | 958 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Murphy won 9 of 12 congressional districts, including two held by Republicans.
District | Murphy | Guandagno | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 64.5% | 33.3% | Donald Norcross |
2nd | 49.7% | 47.6% | Frank LoBiondo |
3rd | 46.7% | 51.3% | Tom MacArthur |
4th | 42.1% | 55.9% | Chris Smith |
5th | 48.2% | 48.1% | Josh Gottheimer |
6th | 54.9% | 43.0% | Frank Pallone |
7th | 45.5% | 52.2% | Leonard Lance |
8th | 81.8% | 16.9% | Albio Sires |
9th | 65.6% | 31.6% | Bill Pascrell |
10th | 85.1% | 13.3% | Donald Payne Jr. |
11th | 49.2% | 48.5% | Rodney Frelinghuysen |
12th | 62.9% | 35.2% | Bonnie Watson Coleman |
Earlier in the evening, Guadagno notched a unanimous victory in Cumberland County.
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