New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017

New Jersey 2017 elections

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2017 New Jersey
Senate Elections

General| November 7, 2017
Primary| June 6, 2017
Filing deadline| April 3, 2017
2017 State Legislative Elections

2017 State Legislative
Special Elections
Past Election Results
2013・2011・2007・2003
2001

Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2017. All 40 seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[1][2] New Jersey's state senators are not subject to term limits. They serve four-year terms, except in the first term of a new decade, which only lasts for two years. Prior to the 2017 election, the chamber last held elections in 2013.

See the results of the November 7 elections here.

New Jersey State Senate

Party  | As of November 7, 2017  | After November 7, 2017
| Democratic Party | 24 | 25
| Republican Party | 16  | 15
Total |  40 |  40

HIGHLIGHTS

* Heading into the general election, Democrats held a 24-16 majority. Republicans needed to pick up five seats in order to take control of the chamber. Democrats, on the other hand, needed to pick up three seats to have a supermajority, allowing them to override gubernatorial vetoes.

* At the beginning of 2017, New Jersey was one of 19 states under divided government, with Republicans in control of the governorship and Democrats in control of the legislature. In most statewide elections leading up to the November 2017 elections, however, New Jersey leaned politically to the left.

* The general election took place four months after the end of a three-day partial government shutdown. The shutdown occurred after Democratic leadership in the Legislature and Gov. Chris Christie (R) failed to reach a budget agreement by the start of the 2018 fiscal year on July 1, 2017. Read more about the shutdown here.

* The primary election on June 6, 2017, featured eight contested primaries: three Democratic races and five Republican races. This was a decrease from 2013, when there were 10 contested primaries: four Democratic races and six Republican races.

## Contents

* 1 Candidates
* 2 General election candidates
* 3 General election vote totals
* 4 Primary candidates
* 5 Primary election vote totals
* 5.1 Qualifications
* 5.2 Salaries and per diem
* 5.3 When sworn in
* 5.4 Races we watched
* 5.4.1 District 3
* 5.4.2 District 7
* 5.4.3 District 14
* 5.4.4 District 18
* 5.4.5 District 38
* 5.5 New Jersey political history
* 5.5.1 Overview
* 5.5.2 Party control
* 5.5.3 Trifectas
* 5.5.4 Presidential politics in New Jersey
* 5.5.4.1 2016 Presidential election results
* 5.5.4.2 Presidential results by legislative district
* 5.5.5 Pivot Counties
* 5.6 Political context of the 2017 elections
* 5.6.1 2017 gubernatorial election
* 5.6.2 2017 partial state government shutdown
* 5.7 Competitiveness
* 5.7.1 Open seats
* 5.7.2 Major party candidates with and without major party competition
* 5.7.3 Incumbents who did not file for re-election in 2017
* 5.7.4 Contested primaries
* 5.7.5 Incumbents who faced primary challengers
* 5.7.6 Historical context
* 5.8 See also
* 5.9 External links
* 5.10 Footnotes

## Candidates[edit]

# General election candidates[edit]

2017 New Jersey Senate general candidates

District |

Democrat

Republican

| Other
1  | Jeff Van Drew (I) a | Mary Gruccio | Anthony Parisi Sanchez (Cannot Be Bought)
2  | Colin Bell (I) | Chris Brown a |
3  | Stephen Sweeney (I) a | Fran Grenier |
4  | Fred Madden (I) a | No candidate |
5  | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (I) a | Keith Walker | Mohammad Kabir (Challenge Promise Fix)
6  | James Beach (I) a | Robert Shapiro |
7  | Troy Singleton a | John Browne |
8  | George Youngkin | Dawn Addiego (I) a |
9  | Brian Corley White | Christopher Connors (I) a |
10  | Emma Mammano | James Holzapfel (I) a |
11  | Vin Gopal a | Jennifer Beck (I) |
12  | David Lande | Samuel Thompson (I) a | Kevin Antoine (Coach Kev)
13  | Sean Byrnes | Declan O'Scanlon a |
14  | Linda Greenstein (I) a | Ileana Schirmer |
15  | Shirley Turner (I) a | Lee Newton |
16  | Laurie Poppe | Christopher Bateman (I) a |
17  | Bob Smith (I) a | Daryl Kipnis |
18  | Patrick Diegnan, Jr. (I) a | Lewis Glogower |
19  | Joseph Vitale (I) a | No candidate |
20  | Joseph Cryan a | Ashraf Hanna |
21  | Jill Lazare | Thomas Kean (I) a |
22  | Nicholas Scutari (I) a | Joseph Bonilla |
23  | Christine Lui Chen | Michael Doherty (I) a |
24  | Jennifer Hamilton | Steven Oroho (I) a |
25  | Lisa Bhimani | Anthony Bucco (I) a |
26  | Elliot Isibor | Joseph Pennacchio (I) a |
27  | Richard Codey (I) a | Pasquale Capozzoli |
28  | Ronald Rice (I) a | No candidate | Troy Knight-Napper (G)
29  | Teresa Ruiz (I) a | Maria Lopez | Pablo Olivera (One Nation Party)
30  | Amy Cores | Robert Singer (I) a |
31  | Sandra Cunningham (I) a | Herminio Mendoza |
32  | Nicholas Sacco (I) a | Paul Castelli |
33  | Brian Stack (I) a | Beth Hamburger |
34  | Nia Gill (I) a | Mahir Saleh |
35  | Nellie Pou (I) a | Marwan Sholakh |
36  | Paul Sarlo (I) a | Jeanine Ferrara |
37  | Loretta Weinberg (I) a | Modesto Romero |
38  | Robert Gordon (I) a | Kelly Langschultz |
39  | Linda Schwager | Gerald Cardinale (I) a | James Tosone (L)
40  | Thomas Duch | Kristin Corrado (I) a |
Notes | • An (I) denotes an incumbent.
| • Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our State Legislature Project.

# General election vote totals[edit]

New Jersey State Senate, District 1 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Jeff Van Drew Incumbent | 64.83% | 35,464
| Republican  | Mary Gruccio | 33.98% | 18,589
| Cannot Be Bought  | Anthony Parisi Sanchez | 1.19% | 652
Total Votes | 54,705
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 2 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Chris Brown | 53.52% | 26,950
| Democratic  | Colin Bell Incumbent | 46.48% | 23,406
Total Votes | 50,356
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 3 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Stephen Sweeney Incumbent | 58.76% | 31,822
| Republican  | Fran Grenier | 41.24% | 22,336
Total Votes | 54,158
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 4 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Fred Madden Incumbent (unopposed) | 100.00% | 38,790
Total Votes | 38,790
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 5 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Nilsa Cruz-Perez Incumbent | 66.06% | 29,031
| Republican  | Keith Walker | 32.91% | 14,463
| Challenge Promise Fix  | Mohammad Kabir | 1.03% | 454
Total Votes | 43,948
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 6 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  James Beach Incumbent | 69.39% | 41,376
| Republican  | Robert Shapiro | 30.61% | 18,249
Total Votes | 59,625
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Troy Singleton | 65.71% | 40,685
| Republican  | John Browne | 34.29% | 21,229
Total Votes | 61,914
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 8 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Dawn Addiego Incumbent | 52.24% | 30,795
| Democratic  | George Youngkin | 47.76% | 28,158
Total Votes | 58,953
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 9 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Christopher Connors Incumbent | 64.59% | 41,438
| Democratic  | Brian Corley White | 35.41% | 22,717
Total Votes | 64,155
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  James Holzapfel Incumbent | 62.53% | 39,555
| Democratic  | Emma Mammano | 37.47% | 23,707
Total Votes | 63,262
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 11 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Vin Gopal | 53.56% | 31,308
| Republican  | Jennifer Beck Incumbent | 46.44% | 27,150
Total Votes | 58,458
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 12 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Samuel Thompson Incumbent | 56.75% | 30,013
| Democratic  | David Lande | 41.38% | 21,888
| Coach Kev  | Kevin Antoine | 1.87% | 990
Total Votes | 52,891
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 13 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Declan O'Scanlon | 55.11% | 34,976
| Democratic  | Sean Byrnes | 44.89% | 28,493
Total Votes | 63,469
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 14 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Linda Greenstein Incumbent | 56.49% | 34,474
| Republican  | Ileana Schirmer | 43.51% | 26,548
Total Votes | 61,022
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 15 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Shirley Turner Incumbent | 74.04% | 36,624
| Republican  | Lee Newton | 25.96% | 12,839
Total Votes | 49,463
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 16 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Christopher Bateman Incumbent | 50.45% | 32,229
| Democratic  | Laurie Poppe | 49.55% | 31,655
Total Votes | 63,884
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 17 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Bob Smith Incumbent | 71.44% | 29,816
| Republican  | Daryl Kipnis | 28.56% | 11,921
Total Votes | 41,737
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 18 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Patrick Diegnan, Jr. Incumbent | 65.62% | 32,175
| Republican  | Lewis Glogower | 34.38% | 16,860
Total Votes | 49,035
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Joseph Vitale Incumbent (unopposed) | 100.00% | 27,681
Total Votes | 27,681
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 20 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Joseph Cryan | 83.69% | 25,772
| Republican  | Ashraf Hanna | 16.31% | 5,023
Total Votes | 30,795
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 21 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Thomas Kean Incumbent | 54.70% | 37,579
| Democratic  | Jill Lazare | 45.30% | 31,123
Total Votes | 68,702
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 22 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Nicholas Scutari Incumbent | 67.30% | 29,563
| Republican  | Joseph Bonilla | 32.70% | 14,362
Total Votes | 43,925
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 23 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Michael Doherty Incumbent | 59.06% | 35,676
| Democratic  | Christine Lui Chen | 40.94% | 24,730
Total Votes | 60,406
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 24 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Steven Oroho Incumbent | 61.03% | 35,641
| Democratic  | Jennifer Hamilton | 38.97% | 22,760
Total Votes | 58,401
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 25 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Anthony Bucco Incumbent | 52.15% | 30,659
| Democratic  | Lisa Bhimani | 47.85% | 28,131
Total Votes | 58,790
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 26 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Joseph Pennacchio Incumbent | 56.48% | 32,269
| Democratic  | Elliot Isibor | 43.52% | 24,867
Total Votes | 57,136
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 27 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Richard Codey Incumbent | 69.70% | 43,066
| Republican  | Pasquale Capozzoli | 30.30% | 18,720
Total Votes | 61,786
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 28 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Ronald Rice Incumbent | 96.05% | 31,774
| Green  | Troy Knight-Napper | 3.95% | 1,306
Total Votes | 33,080
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 29 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Teresa Ruiz Incumbent | 87.25% | 20,506
| Republican  | Maria Lopez | 10.84% | 2,547
| One Nation Party  | Pablo Olivera | 1.91% | 449
Total Votes | 23,502
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 30 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Robert Singer Incumbent | 60.17% | 30,735
| Democratic  | Amy Cores | 39.83% | 20,343
Total Votes | 51,078
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 31 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Sandra Cunningham Incumbent | 83.92% | 25,437
| Republican  | Herminio Mendoza | 16.08% | 4,874
Total Votes | 30,311
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 32 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Nicholas Sacco Incumbent | 80.25% | 23,736
| Republican  | Paul Castelli | 19.75% | 5,842
Total Votes | 29,578
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 33 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Brian Stack Incumbent | 88.22% | 36,594
| Republican  | Beth Hamburger | 11.78% | 4,887
Total Votes | 41,481
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 34 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Nia Gill Incumbent | 84.92% | 34,565
| Republican  | Mahir Saleh | 15.08% | 6,136
Total Votes | 40,701
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 35 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Nellie Pou Incumbent | 78.99% | 21,425
| Republican  | Marwan Sholakh | 21.01% | 5,698
Total Votes | 27,123
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 36 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Paul Sarlo Incumbent | 65.83% | 24,044
| Republican  | Jeanine Ferrara | 34.17% | 12,482
Total Votes | 36,526
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 37 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Loretta Weinberg Incumbent | 75.37% | 33,017
| Republican  | Modesto Romero | 24.63% | 10,788
Total Votes | 43,805
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Robert Gordon Incumbent | 57.06% | 30,881
| Republican  | Kelly Langschultz | 42.94% | 23,238
Total Votes | 54,119
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 39 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Gerald Cardinale Incumbent | 52.77% | 33,752
| Democratic  | Linda Schwager | 46.33% | 29,631
| Libertarian  | James Tosone | 0.90% | 574
Total Votes | 63,957
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 40 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Kristin Corrado Incumbent | 56.24% | 33,495
| Democratic  | Thomas Duch | 43.76% | 26,060
Total Votes | 59,555
Source: New Jersey Department of State

# Primary candidates[edit]

The candidate list below is based on an official list provided by the New Jersey Department of State website on April 13, 2017. The filing deadline for the June primary was on April 3, 2017. (I) denotes an incumbent.[2]

2017 New Jersey State Senate primary candidates

District |

Democrat

Republican

| Other
1  | Jeff Van Drew (I) a | Mary Gruccio a |
2  | Colin Bell a | Chris Brown a |
3  | Stephen Sweeney (I) a | Fran Grenier a |
4  | Fred Madden (I) a | Michael Pascetta a |
5  | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (I) a | Keith Walker a |
6  | James Beach (I) a | Robert Shapiro a |
7  | Troy Singleton a | Rob Prisco a |
8  | George Youngkin a | Dawn Addiego (I) a |
9  | Brian Corley White a | Christopher Connors (I) a |
10  | Emma Mammano a | James Holzapfel (I) a |
11  | Vin Gopal a | Jennifer Beck (I) a |
12  | David Lande a | Art Haney
Samuel Thompson (I) a |
13  | Joshua Leinsdorf
Sean Byrnes a | Declan O'Scanlon a |
14  | Linda Greenstein (I) a | Ileana Schirmer a
Bruce MacDonald |
15  | Shirley Turner (I) a | Lee Newton a |
16  | Laurie Poppe a | Christopher Bateman (I) a |
17  | William Irwin
Bob Smith  (I) a | Daryl Kipnis a |
18  | Patrick Diegnan, Jr. (I) a | Mark Csizmar a |
19  | Joseph Vitale (I) a | Arthur Rittenhouse a |
20  | Joseph Cryan a | Ashraf Hanna a |
21  | Jill Lazare a | Thomas Kean (I) a |
22  | Nicholas Scutari (I) a | Joseph Bonilla a |
23  | Christine Lui Chen a | Michael Doherty (I) a |
24  | Jennifer Hamilton a | William Hayden
Steven Oroho (I) a |
25  | Lisa Bhimani a | Anthony Bucco (I) a |
26  | Elliot Isibor a | Joseph Pennacchio (I) a |
27  | Richard Codey (I) a | Pasquale Capozzoli a |
28  | Ronald Rice (I) a | No candidate |
29  | Teresa Ruiz (I) a | Maria Lopez a |
30  | Amy Cores a | Robert Singer (I) a |
31  | Sandra Cunningham (I) a | Herminio Mendoza a |
32  | Nicholas Sacco (I) a | Paul Castelli a |
33  | Brian Stack (I) a | Beth Hamburger a |
34  | Nia Gill (I) a | Mahir Saleh a |
35  | Haytham Younes
Nellie Pou (I) a | Marwan Sholakh a |
36  | Paul Sarlo (I) a | Jeanine Ferrara a |
37  | Loretta Weinberg (I) a | Modesto Romero a
Eric Fisher |
38  | Robert Gordon (I) a | Kelly Langschultz a |
39  | Linda Schwager a | Gerald Cardinale (I) a |
40  | Thomas Duch a | Kristin Corrado a
Edward Buttimore
Paul DiGaetano |
Notes | • An (I) denotes an incumbent.
| • Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. To suggest changes, click here to email our State Legislature Project.

# Primary election vote totals[edit]

Below are election results for all contested primary elections in the New Jersey State Senate in 2017. All results are official.

New Jersey State Senate, District 12 Republican Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Samuel Thompson Incumbent | 59.82% | 4,277
Art Haney | 40.18% | 2,873
Total Votes | 7,150
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 13 Democratic Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Sean Byrnes | 92.76% | 7,252
Joshua Leinsdorf | 7.24% | 566
Total Votes | 7,818
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 14 Republican Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Ileana Schirmer | 80.86% | 3,481
Bruce MacDonald | 19.14% | 824
Total Votes | 4,305
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 17 Democratic Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Bob Smith Incumbent | 71.98% | 10,103
William Irwin | 28.02% | 3,933
Total Votes | 14,036
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 24 Republican Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Steven Oroho Incumbent | 74.33% | 10,828
William Hayden | 25.67% | 3,740
Total Votes | 14,568
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 35 Democratic Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Nellie Pou Incumbent | 94.96% | 7,247
Haytham Younes | 5.04% | 385
Total Votes | 7,632
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 37 Republican Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Modesto Romero | 52.67% | 1,133
Eric Fisher | 47.33% | 1,018
Total Votes | 2,151
Source: New Jersey Department of State

New Jersey State Senate, District 40 Republican Primary, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Kristin Corrado | 62.01% | 7,792
Paul DiGaetano | 29.99% | 3,768
Edward Buttimore | 8.00% | 1,005
Total Votes | 12,565
Source: New Jersey Department of State

### Qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

In order to be a candidate to run for the New Jersey State Senate, a candidate must:[3]

* Be a citizen of the United States
* Reside for no less than four years in the district the candidate plans to represent.
* Be 30 years of age or older.
* Obtain 100 signatures via petition and submit the signatures to the New Jersey Secretary of State.
* Disclose any criminal convictions.

### Salaries and per diem[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2022

Salary| Per diem
$49,000/year| No per diem is paid.

### When sworn in[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

New Jersey legislators assume office at noon on the second Tuesday in January following the election.[4]

## Races we watched[edit]

New Jersey State Senate
Races to Watch

Democratic seats
District 3
District 14
District 18
District 38
Republican seats
District 7

Ballotpedia identified five races to watch in the New Jersey State Senate 2017 elections: four Democratic seats and one Republican seat. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance. Heading into the general election, Democrats held a 24-16 majority. Republicans needed to pick up five seats in order to take control of the chamber. Democrats needed to pick up three seats in order to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to override gubernatorial vetoes.

To determine state legislative races to watch in 2017, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

1. If the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2017
2. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less
3. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election
4. If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections by 20 points or more

Other factors could also trigger a race to watch. For example, if an outside group or a national or state party announced that they were targeting a specific seat in order to flip it, then Ballotpedia studied the race for that district as a race to watch. Similarly, if a race received an unusual amount of media attention, Ballotpedia also studied the race for that district as a race to watch. Two additional factors were open seats and districts impacted by redistricting.

This map shows the New Jersey state legislative districts where the races we highlighted occurred. In 2017, there were eight counties with races to watch. Seven counties had races involving Democratic seats that we highlighted. These counties were Bergen, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, and Salem. One county had a race involving a Republican seat that we highlighted. This county was Burlington.

### District 3[edit]

Click [show] to read about the District 3 race

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

| The Democratic Party

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes.

What made this a race to watch?

This was a district where the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections, and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less. Incumbent Stephen Sweeney (D)—first elected in 2003 and elected as senate president in 2010—won re-election in 2013 by 9.6 points. He won re-election in 2011 by 11.2 points. District 3 was one of 12 New Jersey state legislative districts that Republican Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Trump carried District 3 by 3.5 points. Democrat Barack Obama won District 3 by 11.2 points. As of 2017, District 3 overlapped with the following counties: Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem. Gloucester and Salem are the two Pivot Counties in New Jersey. These counties voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Trump in 2016.

Candidates

| New Jersey State Senate, District 3 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Stephen Sweeney Incumbent | 58.76% | 31,822
| Republican  | Fran Grenier | 41.24% | 22,336
Total Votes | 54,158
Source: New Jersey Department of State

### District 7[edit]

Click [show] to read about the District 7 race

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

| The Republican Party

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No. District 7 is one of three open seats in the 2017 New Jersey State Senate elections.

What made this a race to watch?

This was a district where the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections, and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election. Incumbent Diane Allen (R) won re-election in 2013 by 20.9 points. She did not file to run for re-election in 2017, making the seat one of three open seats in the New Jersey State Senate 2017 elections. District 7 was one of 28 New Jersey state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 7 by almost 26.6 points, a 47.5 point swing from Allen's margin of victory in 2013. Democrat Barack Obama won the seat in the 2012 presidential election by 28.4 points. As of 2017, District 7 covered Burlington County.

Candidates

| New Jersey State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Troy Singleton | 65.71% | 40,685
| Republican  | John Browne | 34.29% | 21,229
Total Votes | 61,914
Source: New Jersey Department of State

### District 14[edit]

Click [show] to read about the District 14 race

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

| The Democratic Party

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a race to watch?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2017. Incumbent Linda Greenstein (D), first elected in 2010, won re-election in 2013 by 2.4 points, defeating Peter A. Inverso (R) and Don Dezarn (L) with 50.4 percent of the vote. Inverso received 48 percent and Dezarn received 1.6 percent. In 2011, Greenstein won re-election by 10.6 points. District 14 was one of 28 New Jersey state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 14 by 11.7 points. Democrat Barack Obama won the seat in the 2012 presidential election by 16.1 points. As of 2017, District 14 included Mercer and Middlesex counties.

Candidates

| New Jersey State Senate, District 14 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Linda Greenstein Incumbent | 56.49% | 34,474
| Republican  | Ileana Schirmer | 43.51% | 26,548
Total Votes | 61,022
Source: New Jersey Department of State

### District 18[edit]

Click [show] to read about the District 18 race

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

| The Democratic Party

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a race to watch?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent general election prior to 2017. District 18 incumbent Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D) was appointed to the New Jersey State Senate on May 9, 2016, to fill a vacancy and won election to the seat in a special election on November 8, 2016. Diegnan won that election over Roger Daley with 61 percent of the vote. Diegnan's predecessor, however—Peter Barnes, III (D)—won election to the District 18 seat in 2013 with a margin of victory of 3.9 points. He received 51.9 percent to Republican David Stahl's 48.1 percent. District 18 was one of 28 New Jersey state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 18 by 20.6 points. Democrat Barack Obama won the seat in the 2012 presidential election by 22.6 points. As of 2017, District 18 covered Middlesex County.

Candidates

| New Jersey State Senate, District 18 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Patrick Diegnan, Jr. Incumbent | 65.62% | 32,175
| Republican  | Lewis Glogower | 34.38% | 16,860
Total Votes | 49,035
Source: New Jersey Department of State

### District 38[edit]

Click [show] to read about the District 38 race

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

| The Democratic Party

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a race to watch?

This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent general election prior to 2017. Incumbent Robert Gordon (D), first elected in 2007, won re-election in 2013 by 3.8 points and in 2011 by 6.0 points. In the 2013 elections, he defeated Fernando A. Alonso (R) 51.9 to 48.1 percent. District 38 was one of 28 New Jersey state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 38 by 9.4 points. Democrat Barack Obama won the seat in the 2012 presidential election by 10.1 points. As of 2017, District 38 included Bergen and Passaic counties.

Candidates

| New Jersey State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2017

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  |  Robert Gordon Incumbent | 57.06% | 30,881
| Republican  | Kelly Langschultz | 42.94% | 23,238
Total Votes | 54,119
Source: New Jersey Department of State

## New Jersey political history[edit]

### Overview[edit]

New Jersey leaned politically to the left in most elections leading up to the November 2017 elections.

Democrats took control of both chambers of the state Legislature in 2001 and held on to them in every election between then and 2015, the last time one of the chambers was up for election prior to 2017. In 2015, Democrats picked up four seats in the assembly, giving them a 52-28 majority. In 2013, Democrats maintained their 24-16 majority in the state Senate. The governor’s mansion followed slightly different trends in elections between 2001 and 2017. Republicans controlled the governor’s mansion from 1994 to 2001. Democrats controlled it from 2002 until 2009 when Republican Chris Christie defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine 48.5 to 44.9 percent. Prior to Christie’s win in 2009, Republicans had not won a statewide election in New Jersey since 1997.[5] Christie was re-elected in 2013 with 60 percent of the vote. At the beginning of 2017, New Jersey was one of 19 states under divided government.

At the federal level, New Jersey backed Democratic presidential candidates in every election between 1992 and 2016. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016 with 55.5 percent of the vote. Two counties in New Jersey—Gloucester and Salem—are Pivot Counties, which voted for Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016. Ballotpedia identified a total of 206 Pivot Counties throughout the country. Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held seven out of New Jersey’s 12 congressional seats in the House and both Senate seats.

### Party control[edit]

Democrats in the New Jersey State Senate maintained a 24-16 majority in the November 2013 elections.

New Jersey State Senate

Party  | As of November 4, 2013  | After the 2013 Election
| Democratic Party | 24 | 24
| Republican Party | 16  | 16
Total |  40 |  40

### Trifectas[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans held a trifecta in New Jersey from 1994 to 2001. Democrats gained a trifecta in 2004 and held on to it until 2010 when Chris Christie (R) was sworn in as governor.

New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2022
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eight years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year  | 92  | 93  | 94  | 95  | 96  | 97  | 98  | 99  | 00  | 01  | 02  | 03  | 04  | 05  | 06  | 07  | 08  | 09  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18  | 19  | 20  | 21  | 22

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Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D
Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D
Assembly | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D

### Presidential politics in New Jersey[edit]

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Jersey with 55.5 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 41.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic 46.67 percent of the time and Republican 53.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic all five times.

#### 2016 Presidential election results[edit]

U.S. presidential election, New Jersey, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes
| Democratic  | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 55.5% | 2,148,278 | 14
| Republican  |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 41.4% | 1,601,933 | 0
| Libertarian  |  Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 1.9% | 72,477 | 0
| Green  |  Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1% | 37,772 | 0
| Constitution  |  Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.2% | 6,161 | 0
| Socialist Workers  |  Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart | 0.1% | 2,156 | 0
| American Delta  |  Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0% | 1,838 | 0
| Workers World  |  Monica Moorehead/Lamont Lilly | 0% | 1,749 | 0
| Socialism and Liberation  |  Gloria Estela La Riva/Eugene Puryear | 0% | 1,682 | 0
Total Votes | 3,874,046 | 14
Election results via: New Jersey Department of State

#### Presidential results by legislative district[edit]

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Senate districts in New Jersey. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2017 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[6][7]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 28 out of 40 state Senate districts in New Jersey with an average margin of victory of 34.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 28 out of 40 state Senate districts in New Jersey with an average margin of victory of 31.5 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2017 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 12 out of 40 state Senate districts in New Jersey with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 12 out of 40 state Senate districts in New Jersey in 2016 with an average margin of victory of 16.2 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2017 elections.

2016 Presidential Results by State Senate District

District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control
1 | 52.55% | 46.39% | D+6.2 | 43.92% | 52.84% | R+8.9 | D
2 | 59.98% | 39.14% | D+20.8 | 54.18% | 42.74% | D+11.4 | D
3 | 54.96% | 43.72% | D+11.2 | 46.34% | 49.83% | R+3.5 | D
4 | 61.11% | 37.87% | D+23.2 | 54.63% | 42.20% | D+12.4 | D
5 | 69.44% | 29.50% | D+39.9 | 62.87% | 33.90% | D+29 | D
6 | 64.21% | 34.67% | D+29.5 | 64.43% | 32.10% | D+32.3 | D
7 | 63.72% | 35.34% | D+28.4 | 61.61% | 35.00% | D+26.6 | R
8 | 53.14% | 45.83% | D+7.3 | 49.28% | 46.94% | D+2.3 | R
9 | 43.90% | 54.95% | R+11.1 | 34.13% | 62.67% | R+28.5 | R
10 | 42.47% | 56.53% | R+14.1 | 32.88% | 64.09% | R+31.2 | R
11 | 54.95% | 43.91% | D+11 | 51.74% | 45.03% | D+6.7 | R
12 | 46.38% | 52.52% | R+6.1 | 39.77% | 57.01% | R+17.2 | R
13 | 44.27% | 54.60% | R+10.3 | 41.58% | 55.06% | R+13.5 | R
14 | 57.47% | 41.35% | D+16.1 | 54.14% | 42.46% | D+11.7 | D
15 | 72.84% | 26.14% | D+46.7 | 73.25% | 23.44% | D+49.8 | D
16 | 53.14% | 45.49% | D+7.7 | 55.17% | 40.82% | D+14.4 | R
17 | 72.19% | 26.50% | D+45.7 | 70.63% | 26.17% | D+44.5 | D
18 | 60.72% | 38.08% | D+22.6 | 58.63% | 38.07% | D+20.6 | D
19 | 66.90% | 32.12% | D+34.8 | 59.57% | 37.63% | D+21.9 | D
20 | 80.20% | 19.24% | D+61 | 77.35% | 20.41% | D+56.9 | D
21 | 46.60% | 52.40% | R+5.8 | 52.88% | 43.39% | D+9.5 | R
22 | 67.75% | 31.29% | D+36.5 | 64.59% | 32.48% | D+32.1 | D
23 | 43.42% | 55.10% | R+11.7 | 41.81% | 53.76% | R+12 | R
24 | 38.84% | 59.48% | R+20.6 | 33.80% | 61.94% | R+28.1 | R
25 | 45.33% | 53.65% | R+8.3 | 48.19% | 47.98% | D+0.2 | R
26 | 44.04% | 54.83% | R+10.8 | 43.34% | 53.25% | R+9.9 | R
27 | 56.97% | 42.24% | D+14.7 | 62.75% | 34.39% | D+28.4 | D
28 | 82.91% | 16.46% | D+66.5 | 80.06% | 17.88% | D+62.2 | D
29 | 87.85% | 11.62% | D+76.2 | 83.56% | 14.56% | D+69 | D
30 | 36.52% | 62.53% | R+26 | 33.19% | 63.80% | R+30.6 | R
31 | 81.11% | 18.08% | D+63 | 76.83% | 20.65% | D+56.2 | D
32 | 73.85% | 25.23% | D+48.6 | 69.21% | 28.13% | D+41.1 | D
33 | 76.64% | 22.04% | D+54.6 | 76.91% | 19.56% | D+57.4 | D
34 | 82.06% | 17.23% | D+64.8 | 79.62% | 18.03% | D+61.6 | D
35 | 82.17% | 17.28% | D+64.9 | 76.65% | 21.41% | D+55.2 | D
36 | 63.15% | 35.80% | D+27.4 | 56.69% | 40.40% | D+16.3 | D
37 | 68.10% | 31.09% | D+37 | 69.91% | 27.55% | D+42.4 | D
38 | 54.53% | 44.48% | D+10.1 | 53.18% | 43.82% | D+9.4 | D
39 | 44.84% | 54.23% | R+9.4 | 46.33% | 50.38% | R+4.1 | R
40 | 43.69% | 55.37% | R+11.7 | 44.94% | 51.95% | R+7 | R
Total | 58.38% | 40.59% | D+17.8 | 55.45% | 41.35% | D+14.1 | \-
Source: Daily Kos

### Pivot Counties[edit]

Two counties in New Jersey—Gloucester and Salem—are Pivot Counties, counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. There are 206 Pivot Counties in the country, scattered mostly throughout the northern midwest and northeast. A total of 477 state house districts and 233 state senate districts intersect with these Pivot Counties. This includes districts that intersected with only small portions of a county as well as districts that overlapped with multiple counties. These 710 state legislative districts account for approximately 10 percent of all state legislative districts in the country. Three state Senate districts in New Jersey intersect with Pivot Counties. As of May 2017, Democrats controlled all three of them.

State senate districts intersecting with New Jersey Pivot Counties

County  | Trump MoV 2016  | Obama MoV 2012  | Obama MoV 2008  | District  | Party
Gloucester | 0.48%  | 10.77%  | 12.16%  | District 3 | D
District 4 | D
District 5 | D
Salem | 15.00% | 1.31% | 3.92% | District 3 | D

## Political context of the 2017 elections[edit]

### 2017 gubernatorial election[edit]

See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017

Republican Governor Chris Christie was first elected in 2009 and was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election in 2017. Gov. Christie and Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R) defeated Democratic incumbents Governor Jon Corzine and Lieutenant Governor Loretta Weinberg by a margin of 3.6 percentage points in 2009. Christie and Guadagno won re-election in 2013 by over 20 percentage points.

Over the course of his time in office, Governor Christie's popularity has often changed. It peaked at 72 percent approval in November 2012 following Superstorm Sandy; a 16 percent increase from the previous month.[8] Following his election to a second term in 2013, Christie's popularity waned with the Bridgegate scandal and a three-day partial government shutdown. His approval reached a low point of 15 percent in June 2017.[9]

Phil Murphy (D) and Kim Guadagno (R) won their party's nominations for governor in the June 6, 2017, primary election. Electoral rating organizations expected the race to succeed Christie to be competitive between the two major parties. As of July 19, 2017, Cook Political Report, Governing, and Sabato's Crystal Ball had rated it as "Likely Democrat."[10][11][12]

Republicans controlled the governor's office for 16 years between 1992 and 2017, while Democrats controlled the office for 10 years. Gov. Christie's (R) victory in 2009 broke up the state's Democratic trifecta. Democrats had a chance for a Democratic trifecta in 2017 if they kept control of both chamber of the legislature and gained the governor's office.

### 2017 partial state government shutdown[edit]

See also: Potential government shutdowns

In 2017, New Jersey was one of three state governments that experienced a partial government shutdown or the implementation of spending cuts to nonessential government services. State governments establish annual spending and revenue levels by agreeing on a budget, a process that involves both the legislative and executive branches of government. For 46 states, budgets operate along fiscal years that run from July 1 to June 30—the four states that operate along other timelines are New York, Texas, Alabama, and Michigan. When a state's legislative and executive branches fail to settle on a budget agreement before the end of a fiscal year, this sometimes results in cuts to government services or partial government shutdowns in which nonessential services cease to operate until a budget deal is reached. Nonessential services include things like Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches, state parks, and state lotteries. Read below about the details of New Jersey's 2017 partial government shutdown.

* New Jersey's three-day partial government shutdown came to an end on July 4, 2017, after Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed a $34.7 billion state budget into law.[13] The New Jersey government went into a partial shutdown on July 1, 2017, after Democratic leadership in the Legislature and Christie failed to reach an agreement over the budget by the start of the new fiscal year. New Jersey last experienced a partial government shutdown in 2006. The budget impasse in 2017 centered on a proposal by Christie to restructure Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurance company. Christie said he would not sign the budget, which included over $325 million in funding for Democratic priorities, unless it included the Horizon legislation. Both Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) were in favor of including legislation in the state budget that would allow for more government oversight of the insurance provider. The legislation would have also required Horizon to dedicate its excess surplus to fund drug treatment programs. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D) opposed the legislation, arguing that it could increase premiums for Horizon's policyholders. Fearing that Christie might line-item veto Democratic-backed proposals in the budget if the Horizon legislation was not included, many members of the Legislature abstained from voting on the budget which led to the shutdown.[14]

* On July 3, 2017, the Legislature and Christie reached an agreement to end the shutdown but the legislation was not signed until the early morning of June 4, 2017. The $34.7 billion budget included increased spending for education and healthcare and also established a cap on Horizon's reserves. Instead of the excess surplus going to fund drug treatment programs, the budget required the money to be used to limit future premium increases for Horizon's 3.8 million policyholders. The legislation also added two public members to Horizon's board.[15]

* The Assembly voted 53-23 in favor of the budget, while the state Senate backed it 21-14.[15]

## Competitiveness[edit]

See also: A "Competitiveness Index" for capturing competitiveness in state legislative elections

Every year since 2010, Ballotpedia has used official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of state legislative elections throughout the country. Nationally, there was a steady decline in electoral competitiveness between 2010 and 2016. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition dropped by more than 10 percent.

### Open seats[edit]

See also: Open seats in the 2017 state legislative elections

In 2017, three incumbents (7.5 percent) did not file for re-election, leaving three open seats.

Open Seats in the New Jersey State Senate: 2013 and 2017

Year  | Total seats  | Open seats  | Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2017 | 40 | 3 (7.5 percent) | 37 (92.5 percent)
2013 | 40 | 1 (2.5 percent) | 39 (97.5 percent)

### Major party candidates with and without major party competition[edit]

See also: Major party candidates with major party competition in the November 2017 state legislative elections

In 2017, there was one seat where a candidate faced no major party opposition. In District 28, no Republican filed to run against Democratic incumbent Ronald Rice. In 2013, Rice won re-election with 75.7 percent of the vote.

Races with and without major party opposition in the New Jersey Senate

Year  | Total races  | Races without major party opposition  | Races with major party opposition  | Democrats without major party opposition  | Republicans without major party opposition
2017 | 40 | 1 (2.5 percent) | 39 (97.5 percent) | 1 | 0
2013 | 40 | 2 (5 percent) | 38 (95 percent) | 1 | 1

### Incumbents who did not file for re-election in 2017[edit]

See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017

The following incumbents did not file for re-election in 2017:[16]

* Diane Allen (R) - District 7
* Joseph Kyrillos (R) - District 13
* Raymond Lesniak (D) - District 20: Lesniak filed to run for governor of New Jersey.

### Contested primaries[edit]

See also: Primary competitiveness in 2017 state legislative elections

The New Jersey State Senate has 40 seats in 40 districts. A primary in the New Jersey State Senate was considered contested if more than one candidate filed to run for a seat. Out of 80 possible primaries in the New Jersey State Senate, eight (10 percent) were contested in 2017: three Democratic primaries and five Republican primaries. The number of contested primaries in 2017 was similar to the numbers from the previous two elections. In 2013, there were 10 contested primaries: four Democratic primaries and six Republican primaries. In 2011, there were 9 contested primaries: three Democratic primaries and six Republican primaries.

Contested Primaries in the New Jersey State Senate: 2011, 2013, and 2017

Year  | Possible primaries  | Total contested primaries  | Democratic contested primaries  | Republican contested primaries
2017 | 80 | 8 (10 percent) | 3 | 5
2013 | 80 | 10 (12.5 percent) | 4 | 6
2011 | 80 | 9 (11 percent) | 3 | 6

### Incumbents who faced primary challengers[edit]

See also: Incumbents with a primary challenger in the 2017 state legislative elections

In 2017, four incumbents faced challengers in the 2017 primary elections: two Democrats and two Republicans. In the 2011, 2013, and 2017 elections, no incumbent in the New Jersey Senate lost in a primary election.

Incumbents who faced primary challengers

Year  | Total seats  | Seats with incumbents running for re-election  | Incumbents facing primary challengers  | Incumbents defeated in a primary
2017 | 40 | 35 (87.5 percent) | 4 (11.4 percent) | 0
2013 | 40 | 39 (97.5 percent) | 7 (79.9 percent) | 0
2011 | 40 | 36 (90 percent) | 5 (13.8 percent) | 0

### Historical context[edit]

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

## See also[edit]

* New Jersey State Senate
* New Jersey State Legislature
* State legislative elections, 2017

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* New Jersey State Legislature

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "2017 Primary Election Timeline," accessed March 21, 2017
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List, Candidate for State Senate for Primary Election, June 6, 2017," accessed April 13, 2017
3. ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "Partisan Office Candidate Requirements," accessed December 18, 2013
4. ↑ New Jersey Constitution, "Article IV, Section II (2.)," accessed February 10, 2021
5. ↑ Cohen, R. et al. (2015), The Almanac of American Politics. Bethesda, MD:Columbia Books Inc. (page 1163)
6. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
7. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
8. ↑ Huffington Post, "Sandy Response Sends New Jersey Gov Approval Sky-High, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Back Stricter Codes for Shore Rebuilding," November 27, 2012
9. ↑ Politico, "Christie is now New Jersey's least popular governor ever, with 15 percent approval," June 14, 2017
10. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2017/2018 GOVERNORS RACE RATINGS FOR JUNE 22, 2017," June 22, 2017
11. ↑ Governing, "2017-2018 Governors' Races: Where Power Is Most and Least Likely to Flip," January 5, 2017
12. ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "Initial 2018 Gubernatorial Ratings," April 20, 2017
13. ↑ NY Times, "Standoff Ends in Budget Deal for New Jersey," July 3, 2017
14. ↑ NBC New York, "Gov. Christie Orders New Jersey Government Shutdown Amid Budget Impasse," July 1, 2017
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Politico, "Christie signs N.J. budget, ending 3-day government shutdown," July 3, 2017
16. ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.

[show]

Current members of the New Jersey State Senate

Senators

District 1

Mike Testa (R)

District 2

Vincent Polistina (R)

District 3

Edward Durr (R)

District 4

Fred Madden (D)

District 5

Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)

District 6

James Beach (D)

District 7

Troy Singleton (D)

District 8

Jean Stanfield (R)

District 9

Christopher Connors (R)

District 10

James Holzapfel (R)

District 11

Vin Gopal (D)

District 12

Samuel Thompson (R)

District 13

Declan O'Scanlon (R)

District 14

Linda Greenstein (D)

District 15

Shirley Turner (D)

District 16

Andrew Zwicker (D)

District 17

Bob Smith (D)

District 18

Patrick Diegnan (D)

District 19

Joseph Vitale (D)

District 20

Joseph Cryan (D)

District 21

Jon Bramnick (R)

District 22

Nicholas Scutari (D)

District 23

Michael Doherty (R)

District 24

Steven Oroho (R)

District 25

Anthony Bucco (R)

District 26

Joseph Pennacchio (R)

District 27

Richard Codey (D)

District 28

Renee Burgess (D)

District 29

Teresa Ruiz (D)

District 30

Robert Singer (R)

District 31

Sandra Cunningham (D)

District 32

Nicholas Sacco (D)

District 33

Brian Stack (D)

District 34

Nia Gill (D)

District 35

Nellie Pou (D)

District 36

Paul Sarlo (D)

District 37

Gordon Johnson (D)

District 38

Joseph Lagana (D)

District 39

Holly Schepisi (R)

District 40

Kristin Corrado (R)

Democratic Party (24)

Republican Party (16)