The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2001. Primaries took place on June 25. Democratic nominee Jim McGreevey won the general election with 56% of the vote against Republican Bret Schundler, 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.

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. 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. In late June 2000, he raised $3.2 million for the state party.

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. 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.

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. 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."

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." 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.

Results

Democratic Primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJim McGreevey250,40495.54%
DemocraticElliot Greenspan11,6824.46%
Total votes262,086100.00%

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. 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

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorDonald DiFrancescoBob FranksBret SchundlerOther/ Undecided
QuinnipiacNovember 28–December 4, 2000372 RV±5.1%10%45%9%37%
QuinnipiacJanuary 30–February 5, 2001310 RV±5.6%45%–16%39%
QuinnipiacFebruary 28–March 4, 2001347 RV±5.3%46%–24%29%
QuinnipiacApril 3–9, 2001357 RV±5.2%39%–27%34%
QuinnipiacMay 1–8, 2001331 RV±5.4%–46%24%30%
QuinnipiacJune 14–18, 2001415 LV±4.8%–39%54%8%

Results

Republican Primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanBret Schundler193,34257.38%
RepublicanBob Franks143,60642.62%
Total votes336,948100.00%

General election

Candidates

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorJim McGreevey (D)Bret Schundler (R)Bill Schluter (I)Other/ Undecided
QuinnipiacNovember 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%40%24%—36%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]January 24–30, 2001649 RV±4.0%43%19%—37%
QuinnipiacJanuary 30–February 5, 20011,156 RV±2.9%46%22%—36%
QuinnipiacFebruary 28–March 4, 20011,129 RV±2.9%45%31%—24%
QuinnipiacApril 3–9, 20011,145 RV±2.9%43%27%—30%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]April 11–17, 2001632 RV±4.0%46%22%—32%
QuinnipiacMay 1–8, 20011,181 RV±2.9%48%27%—25%
QuinnipiacJune 27–July 1, 2001851 RV±3.4%48%35%—17%
QuinnipiacJuly 29–August 5, 20011,235 RV±2.8%49%30%—21%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]August 15–21, 2001395 LV±5.0%54%33%—14%
48%29%4%20%
QuinnipiacSeptember 19–24, 20011,406 RV±2.6%44%30%—27%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]September 22–26, 2001424 LV±4.0%46%31%—24%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]October 13–17, 2001449 LV±4.7%45%33%—22%
QuinnipiacOctober 10–15, 2001742 LV±3.6%49%39%—12%
1,140 RV±2.9%49%35%—15%
QuinnipiacOctober 23–28, 2001746 LV±3.7%52%35%—12%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]October 30–November 2, 2001746 LV±3.7%53%36%—11%
QuinnipiacOctober 29–November 4, 2001505 LV±4.4%48%39%—13%

with Donald DiFrancesco

Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorJim McGreevey (D)Donald DiFrancesco (R)Other/ Undecided
QuinnipiacNovember 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%41%26%34%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]January 24–30, 2001649 LV±4.0%39%26%35%
QuinnipiacJanuary 30–February 5, 20011,156 RV±2.9%40%32%28%
QuinnipiacFebruary 28–March 4, 20011,129 RV±2.9%41%37%22%
QuinnipiacFebruary 28–March 4, 20011,145 RV±2.9%42%33%24%
Rutgers-Eagleton[not specific enough to verify]April 11–17, 2001632 LV±4.0%44%26%30%

with Bob Franks

Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorJim McGreevey (D)Bob Franks (R)Other/ Undecided
QuinnipiacNovember 28–December 4, 20001,261 RV±2.8%38%35%28%
QuinnipiacMay 1–8, 20011,181 RV±2.9%44%35%21%

Results

New Jersey Gubernatorial Election, 2001
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DemocraticJim McGreevey1,256,85356.43%10.6
RepublicanBret Schundler928,17441.68%5.2
IndependentBill Schluter24,0841.08%N/A
GreenJerry L. Coleman6,2380.28%0.16
LibertarianMark Edgerton4,6840.21%4.51
IndependentGeorge Watson, Jr.2,5680.12%N/A
ConservativeMichael W. Koontz1,9490.09%1.36
SocialistCostantino Rozzo1,5370.07%0.05
Socialist WorkersKari Sachs1,0780.05%0.07
Majority328,67914.76%+13.71%
Turnout2,227,165
Democratic gain from RepublicanSwing

Results by county

CountyMcGreevey votesMcGreevey %Schundler votesSchundler %Other votesOther %
Atlantic38,62357.5%27,54741.0%9951.5%
Bergen140,21555.1%111,22143.7%3,1061.2%
Burlington62,69755.4%48,09842.5%2,4372.2%
Camden78,16964.6%40,06333.1%2,7282.3%
Cape May17,11848.5%17,47149.5%7352.1%
Cumberland19,44557.7%13,58340.3%6682.0%
Essex129,40671.9%48,54027.0%2,0831.2%
Gloucester41,08358.1%28,21039.9%1,3922.0%
Hudson85,07468.8%37,44030.3%1,2241.0%
Hunterdon13,91135.3%23,05958.4%2,4846.3%
Mercer57,51360.9%31,70533.6%5,1485.5%
Middlesex117,06162.7%66,74935.7%2,9991.6%
Monmouth91,83849.5%89,98748.5%3,6472.0%
Morris60,94842.8%79,35055.8%1,9421.4%
Ocean84,53851.2%77,72647.1%2,6901.6%
Passaic62,39058.1%43,80640.8%1,2381.2%
Salem10,83753.5%8,87843.8%5402.7%
Somerset39,11045.6%44,81552.2%1,9032.2%
Sussex14,64137.5%23,47860.1%9572.4%
Union79,68260.3%50,78038.4%1,7901.4%
Warren12,55442.3%15,66852.8%1,4324.8%

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

Official campaign websites