New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017

New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election

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Governor of New Jersey

Filing deadline: April 3, 2017

Primary date: June 6, 2017

General election date: November 7, 2017

Incumbent prior to election: Chris Christie (R)

State executive offices

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Divided government

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New Jersey State Executive Elections Top Ballot Governor • Lt. governor Down Ballot None

New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. The winners of this race were Phil Murphy (D) and Sheila Oliver (D). Click here to view vote totals for this election. Gov. Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Phil Murphy (D), Kim Guadagno (R), Peter Rohrman (L), Seth Kaper-Dale (G), Matt Riccardi (C), Gina Genovese (I), and Vincent Ross (I) ran for the open seat. The most recent overall race rating from five separate outlets was Likely Democrat. New Jersey law requires that voters register 21 days in advance of an election, meaning that the final day to register in this election was October 18, 2017.

On this page, you will find an overview of the seven candidates that ran for governor and their stances on the major issues facing the state, as well as the endorsements they earned. This is followed by up-to-date information on polling, campaign finance, and race ratings. At the bottom of the page, information on past elections, New Jersey's political climate, and the office's powers and responsibilities are provided to contextualize the election.

HIGHLIGHTS

Policies: Among Phil Murphy's (D) major proposals was the creation of a state bank to store the state's assets and to fund projects within the state. A central proposal of Kim Guadagno's (R) campaign was a property tax reduction plan that would cap the portion of property taxes going to schools at a percentage of household income.

Polling: A November 1, 2017, Monmouth University poll found Phil Murphy leading with 53 percent of likely voters. Kim Guadagno came in second with 39 percent of likely voters.

Historical context: Democratic victory in the election restored the party's trifecta control over the state government, which was lost when Chris Christie was elected governor in 2009.

To see information about the June 6 primary election in this race, click here.

Candidates

Phil Murphy (D)
Gubernatorial candidate
U.S. Ambassador to Germany, 2009-2013

Sheila Oliver (D)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004

Phil Murphy is a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany. Murphy won the Democratic primary election on June 6, 2017, by a 26 percent margin. Sheila Oliver has served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004, serving as the body's speaker between 2010 and 2013. She was selected by Murphy as his running mate on July 25, 2017.

Kim Guadagno (R)
Gubernatorial candidate
Lieutenant governor of New Jersey since 2010

Carlos Rendo (R)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Mayor of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, since 2015

Kim Guadagno is the Republican lieutenant governor and secretary of state of New Jersey. She was first elected as Chris Christie's running mate in 2009 and was re-elected in 2013. Guadagno won the Republican primary election on June 6, 2017, by a 16 percent margin. Carlos Rendo is the Republican mayor of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. He was first elected to the position in 2015. Guadagno picked Rendo as her running mate on July 27, 2017.

Peter Rohrman (Lib.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Network engineer

Karese Laguerre (Lib.)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Dental hygienist

Peter Rohrman is a network engineer who was nominated by the Libertarian Party of New Jersey as their candidate for governor on March 11, 2017. Karese Laguerre is a dental hygienist who was nominated by the Libertarian Party of New Jersey as their candidate for lieutenant governor on March 11, 2017.

Seth Kaper-Dale (Green Party)
Gubernatorial candidate
Pastor

Lisa Durden (Green Party)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Political commentator

Seth Kaper-Dale is a pastor who was nominated by the Green Party of New Jersey as their candidate for governor on November 4, 2016. Lisa Durden is a political commentator and professor of popular culture and mass communication who most recently taught at Essex County College. She was selected by Kaper-Dale as his running mate on July 25, 2017.

Matt Riccardi (Constitution Party)
United States Marine Corps veteran

Matt Riccardi is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who was nominated by the Constitution Party of New Jersey as their candidate for governor. The Riccardi campaign did not register a running mate with the New Jersey Division of Elections.

Gina Genovese (Ind.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Former mayor of Long Hill, New Jersey

Derel Stroud (Ind.)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Political consultant

Gina Genovese is a former mayor of Long Hill, New Jersey, who ran for governor on the Lower Property Taxes ticket. Derel Stroud is a political operative who was selected by Genovese as her running mate on July 25, 2017. As of August 27, 2017, Stroud was not included on the New Jersey Division of Elections' official candidate list.

Vincent Ross (Ind.)
Gubernatorial candidate
Unknown

April Johnson (Ind.)
Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate
Unknown

Vincent Ross ran for governor on the We the People ticket with April Johnson as his running mate. Ballotpedia staff have been unable to locate biographical details or profile photos for Ross and Johnson. If you have information on these candidates, please let us know.

Results

The following candidates ran in the election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

New Jersey Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Phil Murphy/Sheila Oliver	56.03%	1,203,110
	Republican	Kim Guadagno/Carlos Rendo	41.89%	899,583
	Independent	Gina Genovese/Derel Stroud	0.57%	12,294
	Libertarian	Peter Rohrman/Karese Laguerre	0.49%	10,531
	Green	Seth Kaper-Dale/Lisa Durden	0.47%	10,053
	Constitution	Matt Riccardi	0.32%	6,864
	Independent	Vincent Ross/April Johnson	0.23%	4,980
Total Votes (6385/6385 precincts reporting)				2,147,415
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Policies and endorsements

Issues

The following tables provide side-by-side comparisons of policy statements taken from the campaign websites of both Phil Murphy (D) and Kim Guadagno (R). Among Murphy's major policy proposals was the establishment of a state bank to serve as a depository for state revenues and to fund projects within the state. Among Guadagno's main proposals was a property tax credit that caps property tax payments for education based on a household's income. Click [show] to view a more detailed comparison.

Position summaries for gubernatorial candidates
Issue	Phil Murphy	Kim Guadagno
Education	Supports funding universities and community colleges to decrease tuition rates Supports student loan relief for employees working in science, technology, engineering, and math Supports curriculum modifications to emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math in K-12 education as well as increased access to apprenticeships and vocational training Supports the introduction of universal computer science training at the K-12 level Calls for increased access to vocational programs and science, technology, engineering, and math training Supports the introduction of student loan forgiveness for those teaching science, technology, engineering, and math in school districts in need of additional teachers Supports the elimination of Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) testing Supports the elimination of standardized testing requirements for high school graduation Supports allowing the refinancing of student loans at rates above the market average through a Bank of New Jersey Supports universal access to prekindergarten at no charge	Calls for modifications to the school funding formula Calls for the promotion of apprenticeships and vocational training Calls for merit pay for teachers Calls for decreases in the cost of higher education Calls for increased school choice Supports an audit of every state public school district to assess the impact of education funding Supports the implementation of a statewide system for bargaining with distributors for prices on supplies for schools Supports modifications to the state education funding formula so that districts receiving aid from the Schools Development Authority are required to contribute to capital improvements Supports prioritizing state education funding for students enrolled in special education programs Supports the implementation of a process to allow districts to appeal their aid disbursements via an administrative hearing rather than in court Supports setting aside a portion of aid for districts identified by the school audit as being efficient
Health	Supports a decrease in allowed out-of-network costs Supports state funding for Planned Parenthood Calls for all children to be enrolled in health insurance programs Calls for increased access to addiction treatment Supports requiring health insurers to cover access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for victims of opioid addiction Supports a seven-day limit on initial opioid prescriptions Calls for a decrease in the cost of Narcan Supports the introduction of a campaign highlighting the dangers of opioid use	Calls for a 50 percent reduction in suicides among veterans Calls for an easier process for veterans diagnosed with PTSD to acquire medical marijuana
Government Management	Supports the creation of a Bank of New Jersey which would finance local infrastructure projects, small businesses, and student loans Supports the introduction of a tax credit for children and dependents Supports the acquisition of new technology for government departments Supports the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit to 40 percent of federal levels Calls for the state to meet existing pension obligations Calls for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing state pension contributions Supports a state divestment from privately-managed pension funds Supports the introduction of tax credits intended to increase rates of home ownership Supports the implementation of a plan intended to lower property taxes Increased state funding for schools Creation of incentives to encourage municipalities to share services Property tax rebates for the elderly, the disabled, and low-income residents Supports the creation of a cabinet-level Chief Diversity Officer position Supports the implementation of an annual review of the state's diversity practices	Supports a complete audit of the state government, with savings from the audit being put into lowering property taxes Supports either an elected attorney general or a law that would require an independently-appointed special prosecutor in cases where the governor or lieutenant governor is under investigation Supports the use of zero-based budgeting, which requires all expenses in the state budget to be justified Supports the selling of unused state-owned assets, with the exception of parks, beaches, and environmentally sensitive properties Supports a requirement that voters approve all new debt taken on by the state Economic Development Authority Opposes taking on long-term debt without securing voter approval via a referendum Opposes ongoing renovations to the State House Supports a property tax "circuit breaker" which would credit families to prevent them from owing more than 5% of their household income as school property taxes Supports a cap on payments to retiring state employees for unused sick days Calls for incentives to encourage municipalities to share services Supports maintaining benefits for current retirees Supports a reduction in health benefits Supports the prevention of public employees collecting a pension and a salary simultaneously Supports a renegotiation of pension fund management fees Supports a transition to cash-based pension plans Supports an exemption on state income tax for active-duty military Supports expanding availability for property tax reductions for veterans Supports increased hiring of veterans by the state government
Jobs and the Economy	Supports the expansion of small business incubators Supports mandating earned sick leave policies Supports a $15 per hour minimum wage Supports the creation of a state-run opt-in retirement plan for employees of small businesses Supports increased funding for research and development Supports the creation of an innovation cabinet Calls for small businesses to have increased access to capital Supports stricter penalties for companies which factor gender into pay Supports prohibiting employers from asking job applicants for information on their prior pay and from punishing discussion of pay Supports providing unemployment benefits to workers who have been on strike for more than 30 days	Calls for programs that would help veterans find jobs and attract military families to the state Supports the promotion of tourism Calls for veteran unemployment to be lowered to match the state average Supports programs that would aid veterans in achieving certifications for specialized jobs
Transportation	Supports infrastructure investment to increase job growth Supports the appointment of an emergency manager Supports auditing NJ Transit Supports the addition of more NJ Transit employees at high-traffic stations and the development of additional app functionalities Supports the negotiation of deals allowing NJ Transit customers to use PATH, ferry, and bus services without charge and vice-versa Supports mandated weekly performance reports and an increase in public access to NJ Transit board meetings Supports increased funding for NJ Transit Supports the addition of commuters to the NJ Transit board	Calls for a long-term infrastructure plan as an alternative to increased tolls and gas tax rates Supports an audit of the Transportation Trust Fund Supports removing political appointees from the infrastructure planning process Calls for the replacement of the transportation funding panel with a funding formula Supports the implementation of a new New York-New Jersey tax agreement which would divert income tax revenue collected by New York from New Jersey citizens to fund New Jersey transportation projects Supports the promotion of Commuting Expense Accounts, which allow employees to set aside funds on a tax-free basis to use for commuting Supports the construction of a new NJ Transit bus terminal Supports the addition of new ferry routes Supports a requirement that the Department of Transportation commissioner and executives with NJ Transit hold monthly town halls Supports requiring all senior employees of NJ Transit to re-apply for their jobs

• Phil Murphy for Governor - On the Issues

• Kim for NJ - On the Issues

• Pete Rohrman for Governor - The Issues

• Kaper-Dale for Governor - Policies

• Riccardi for NJ - Your Issues

• Gina Genovese for NJ Governor - Issues

Candidate statements

Candidates running for governor were permitted by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to submit a statement making the case for their candidacy in 500 words or less. New Jersey law calls for the statements to be reproduced in full on sample ballots. In the 2017 election, six candidates chose to submit statements to the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Click [show] to view Phil Murphy's candidate statement.

“ If we get our economy right, we get New Jersey right. Yet for eight painful years Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno have gotten it wrong. I am running for governor because New Jersey needs a stronger, fairer economy and I have a plan to get us there. Let’s start with the facts. Today, families in New Jersey are paying more and getting less. That is not by accident, nor is the rest of America in the same shape. While median household incomes across the country grew from 2010 to 2015 New Jersey families saw their incomes fall. People are working harder yet making less money; that is simply unacceptable. Parkway and Turnpike tolls increased 50%. NJ Transit fares are up 36% while service, safety, and reliability declined. College tuition at state schools is approximately 20% higher than eight years ago. And property taxes have risen 17%. We need to be very clear about something — it wasn’t a question of whether our state had the money, it was a choice about how that money was used, such as giving out $8 billion in corporate tax breaks, underfunding public schools by nearly $9 billion. It’s no coincidence that property taxes have gone up for middle and working class families while millionaires got tax cuts. We’ve seen 11 straight credit rating downgrades, and our fiscal condition is the worst in the country. None of our problems have been solved. They’ve only gotten worse. But I am an optimist, and we can put things right. It starts by reclaiming our dominance in the innovation economy and investing in infrastructure to create new jobs at good wages. It’s making college more affordable, and standing up for the right things, like funding Planned Parenthood and women’s health programs. It’s property tax relief that starts by fully funding our public schools. It’s asking the wealthiest New Jerseyans to pay their fair share, and revamping ineffective tax breaks that have only benefitted big corporations. It’s ending the practice of overpriced hedge funds managing state pensions. It’s reforming our criminal justice system, including the legalization and taxation of marijuana to bring in hundreds of millions in new revenues. It’s creating an innovative Public Bank to invest in New Jersey’s small businesses, not Wall Street's profit centers. It’s equal pay and a stronger minimum wage. It’s building a Green Economy with good jobs. New Jersey needs bolder and more visionary leadership. This state is blessed with an unmatched location, a talented work force, and great institutions of learning. We need to put those to work instead of neglecting them. I don’t come from Trenton’s failed special interest politics. And I don't owe the special interests anything. I spent my career learning how economies grow and create jobs. We need to make New Jersey’s economy stronger and fairer, to make this a state that works for every family. We need to move beyond small politics dominated by the special interests. We need a governor who will have your back. I will. ” —Phil Murphy

Click [show] to view Kim Guadagno's candidate statement.

“ Before casting your ballot, ask yourself a few simple questions: Are you or members of your family paying too much in property taxes, which are the highest in the country? Is the government taking too much out of your paycheck without any noticeable difference in the services you receive, making living in New Jersey unaffordable? Do you believe that state government should be audited to ensure that your tax dollars are being spent efficiently and wisely? If you answered YES to any of these questions, I ask you to consider voting for me. With the highest property taxes in the country, New Jersey has reached a breaking point. Too many of our friends, family and neighbors are struggling to put food on their table, losing their homes or even moving to other states. As a working mom who raised her three boys in New Jersey, I know we have to make our state more affordable for families, and I firmly believe the best way to do it is become more efficient and cut property taxes for the middle class. My comprehensive property tax cut program will save middle class families and seniors up to $3,000 a year on their property tax bills by capping school taxes at 5 percent of household income. This will give families certainty and ensure that no family has to move out-of-state because of high property taxes. If similar programs can work in states like Illinois and Massachusetts, it can work in New Jersey. If elected governor, I will also root out waste and make government run more efficiently by conducting a detailed performance audit of all aspects of state government. This includes cancelling the unnecessary $300 million renovation of the State House in Trenton. My priority will always be to put New Jersey families first. As a former sheriff and prosecutor, I know we cannot make New Jersey a “Sanctuary State,” which would only protect violent criminals and make our state less safe. As governor, I will always support law enforcement and first responders. This includes negotiating a fair deal to our state’s pension crisis to secure the retirement of thousands of public workers. Other candidates for governor like Phil Murphy, who spent his career on Wall Street, have proposed billions in additional state government spending and admitted he would increase taxes by at least $1.3 billion to pay for it. New Jersey tried that kind of Wall Street approach once before under Jon Corzine, and it would only make our state less affordable and send more of our families and businesses fleeing New Jersey for other states. This campaign is bigger than ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat.’ It is about the future – not the past – and making our state better for all New Jerseyans. Instead of yelling and shouting at each other, it is time to put the hardworking taxpayers of New Jersey first so that we can once again make New Jersey an affordable place to live, work and raise a family. ” —Kim Guadagno

Click [show] to view Peter Rohrman's candidate statement.

“ LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY: Freedom, Limited Government, Peace, Tolerance, and Free Markets YOU Excited for a virtual 3rd term of Corzine or Christie? How about 4 more years of failed policy? Clearly, there will be no change if you elect a Democrat or Republican. It’s time for a real change. I’m here to give you the Libertarian choice. ME Born in Passaic. Raised in Carlstadt/E. Rutherford. Single father raising 2 boys in Bergen County. I’m struggling to make ends meet raising my family in NJ. I’ve spent a lifetime in service to you – U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman, Volunteer Firefighter, Youth Athletic Couch, and working with the youth of Newark implementing outreach educational programs. I ask you to allow me to serve you further by electing me, Peter J. Rohrman, as Governor. FISCAL DEMOCRACY The average NJ family is forced to pay approximately 30% of their income to the state, county, and municipal governments. My 'Fiscal Democracy' plan will limit this to 10% and allow you, the individual, to choose which government programs your tax payments will fund. This moves the power of appropriations out of irresponsible legislators’ hands, and places that power directly into yours. YOU WILL CHOOSE WHAT TO FUND OR DE-FUND. 'Fiscal Democracy' will eliminate property tax, gas tax, sales tax, and even vehicle registration fees. 'Fiscal Democracy' creates massive incentive for companies to re-locate to NJ and will eliminate unemployment. More info: www.Pete4NJ.com/tax-plan SCHOOL CHOICE Your child’s education shouldn’t be dictated by your zipcode. I am advocating for voucher programs that will allow municipalities to cut their educational costs in half, improve their education, and give parents a choice of where their child attends school. We’ll give local school boards the power to hand parents a check for their child’s education. This could be as much as $18,000 per child for tuition to attend a school that best meets your child’s needs. WEAPONS The right to defend your person, property, and home is non-existent in NJ. A restraining order will do nothing to protect you from harm. Police are minutes away when seconds count in an assault or carjacking. On Inauguration Day, I will sign a mass pardon from most of NJ’s draconian gun laws. We’ll follow Vermont’s lead, and revert to federal gun law only. MARIJUANA I oppose the 'War on Drugs' as it prosecutes people with medical problems and endangers our police officers at the benefit of blustering politicians. As a first step in ending this war, I intend to legalize marijuana and refuse to inhibit its accessibility with government permits or additional taxes that would force it back underground. AGE OF MAJORITY I will also use executive power to reduce drinking, smoking, and gambling age in NJ to 18. If you are old enough to die for your country, you should be able to have a drink or play cards in Atlantic City. Semper Fi, PETER J. ROHRMAN Libertarian for Governor www.Pete4NJ.com www.NJLP.org www.facebook.com/RohrmanForGovernor ” —Peter Rohrman

Click [show] to view Seth Kaper-Dale's candidate statement.

“ Do you have a choice this November 7th? Yes!! In New Jersey, the political bosses of both major parties eat from the same banquet table and only throw crumbs to the rest of us. We’re left struggling to get by. In sixteen years as a central Jersey pastor and social justice activist, I’ve launched and administered non-profit organizations running programs to improve lives. This work includes providing a) affordable housing for homeless veterans, young women aging out of foster homes and people exiting prison; b) mental health services; and c) after-school programs. Our work resettling refugees and defending immigrant rights gained notoriety in 2012, when my church provided sanctuary to nine Indonesians. My running mate, Lisa Durden of Newark, is a film producer, social media presence and expert commentator. Essex County College fired her after she defended a Black Lives Matter event on national television. Lisa and I believe our state is only as healthy as those with the least. Everyone deserves the chance to thrive. Our 'Last Are First' platform creates a well-spring of opportunities surging up from below, including: Full funding for public education. Related to that, children must know where they’ll sleep at night. We’ll support families by expanding the Rental Assistance Program and increasing childcare and afterschool programs. Increased funding for affordable housing while combatting apartheid neighborhoods to promote school de-segregation. Reforming our criminal justice system to eliminate racial disparity in policing and sentencing, ending mandatory minimums and starting prisoner re-entry on Day One of a prison term. The imprisoned should keep their right to vote. And prison labor must be paid decent wages! Protecting the environment by halting fossil fuel pipeline expansion and eliminating carbon emissions by 5% annually. We will confront polluters harming poor communities. We’ll promote renewable energy that will drive new jobs. Defending undocumented immigrants in our communities against the Trump policies of ethnic cleansing. We will promote Sanctuary and extend drivers licenses to immigrants. Supporting union organizing, the right to collective bargaining, equal pay for women, prevailing wages and a minimum wage of $15/hour. Enacting Single-payer Medicare for All. Healthcare is a right from cradle to grave! Eliminating the profit motive from healthcare saves money. This will decrease property and rental taxes, lower college costs and help save state pensions. Creating a public bank which will empower NJ to extend credit to re-build our failing water and transportation infrastructure, halt residential foreclosures and provide low-interest student loans. Ending corporate welfare and adding new income tax brackets, so that those making millions significantly increase their contributions for the common good. Legalizing marijuana with a focus on job creation for communities confronting discrimination including people with disabilities, transgender persons and urban youth. Combatting violence against women and children and defending a woman’s right to control her own body. The Green Party’s Seth Kaper-Dale and Lisa Durden are the Only Progressives Running for the statehouse. Make us your choice November 7; we will be your voice in Trenton. Visit our campaign website: www.KaperDaleForGovernor.com ” —Seth Kaper-Dale

Click [show] to view Gina Genovese's candidate statement.

“ On November 7th you have an opportunity to cast a powerful vote for the future of New Jersey. My goal is to reduce property taxes across the state by at least 15% by 2022, which will return $4 Billion to our economy and to the pockets of every New Jersey homeowner. Should you take a risk and vote for an independent candidate? Perhaps a better question is, should you award your vote to either the Democrats or Republicans? Neither party has moved our state forward, particularly with regard to reducing our highest in the nation property taxes. A vote outside the two major parties is your chance to steer New Jersey in a new direction, turning our state away from insider politics and the fiscal disaster that big money, political machines and purchased elections have given us. As the ONLY candidate who has served as a Mayor, I have seen Trenton’s inaction and incompetence. As a result, I founded the non-partisan, non-profit Courage to Connect NJ. For ten years, as Executive Director, I have been a fierce and tireless advocate working with taxpayers, local and county officials, school boards and fire commissioners who have realized our current administration system is redundant, inefficient and far too costly. This inefficiency can only be addressed by consolidating municipalities and services. This is why I am running for Governor. My work with Courage to Connect NJ has been challenging, largely because of the absence of any support from Trenton. I worked with a retired Scotch Plains resident who formed a commission to study the consolidation of Scotch Plains with Fanwood. His three years of intensive effort, and his dream of reducing property taxes for residents of both municipalities, screeched to a halt when the State refused to fund the study. I also worked with the visionary leaders in Princeton who, after an arduous effort, consolidated Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into a single entity, one that now saves its residents approximately $3 million annually. Our state leadership has never acknowledged this success, much less built on it. In South Hunterdon, I worked with the school boards to combine its four school districts into a single unified district, one that would better serve the faculty, parents and students. South Hunterdon’s taxpayers were disappointed by the lack of leadership and support from Trenton and funded the study themselves. I now work with the residents of Mt. Arlington and Roxbury, who are making history by studying the merger of their municipalities and school districts. Our state government will not provide $7,500 for a consolidation study. This is shameful! I am running for Governor to provide the missing state leadership to finally reduce our unbearable property tax burden and improve the quality of life or all of us who love New Jersey. We can make our state a great place to live, work and retire. Voting for Independent Gina Genovese on November 7th can lead us to a sustainable future for you and New Jersey. ” —Gina Genovese

Click [show] to view Vincent Ross' candidate statement.

“ We The People of New Jersey need to be represented. As far as memory serve’s The working People of New Jersey has not been represented by no Governor to Date. Our dollar value has gotten smaller, but our taxes and Fines AKA (which is another form of raising Taxe’s) has gone up to the point of working poor: it’s driving people to leave our wonderful state in droves and by the dozen’s: I’m Looking to stop the bleeding and do what our constitution says; and represent the working Person of our state it’s time we can not wait any longer. Vote Vincent Ross for Governor of the State of New Jersey and be apart of the representation This is Vincent Ross and I aprove this message ” —Vincent Ross

Debates

In New Jersey, gubernatorial debates are sponsored by the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), an independent state agency responsible for campaign finance monitoring and enforcement. In order to qualify for the 2017 debates, gubernatorial candidates were required to demonstrate that their campaigns had raised and spent or committed to spend $430,000 before the September 1, 2017, deadline. Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno were the only candidates to qualify for the ELEC debates in 2017. ELEC's official debate schedule included gubernatorial debates on October 10 and October 18, as well as a lieutenant gubernatorial debate between Sheila Oliver and Carlos Rendo on October 16.

October 18

The final debate of the election was held on October 18, 2017, in Wayne, New Jersey. As in the first debate, Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno focused on fiscal policy. Both candidates were critical of their opponent's plan to reduce the state's property tax burden. Guadagno's circuit breaker property tax reduction proposal to cap the portion of a household's property tax burden going to local schools at five percent, with the state covering the difference using savings from a proposed audit, was criticized by Murphy as unrealistic: "The circuit buzzer, it sounds like an overstock item at Crazy Eddie's...That's not a plan. You have to back it up with real money." Murphy's proposal to increase state education funding to local schools, allowing municipalities to lower property taxes of their own accord, was similarly panned by Guadagno: "Where are you getting the money? That $9 billion is coming from your back pocket."

The candidates were also asked for their stances on a bid endorsed by Gov. Christie and leaders in the state legislature suggesting Newark as the location for Amazon's second headquarters and providing up to $7 billion in tax relief to the company. Guadagno replied that she was in favor of the proposal while Murphy did not commit to supporting or opposing the bid.

October 16 lieutenant gubernatorial debate

The only lieutenant gubernatorial debate of the election was held on October 16, 2017. Lieutenant gubernatorial nominees Sheila Oliver (D) and Carlos Rendo (R) discussed issues including taxes and the state's business climate. Oliver criticized Guadagno's circuit breaker property tax proposal, which would cap the amount a household pays on property taxes to support local schools at five percent of annual income. Oliver argued that the plan would not benefit many taxpayers and that the proposed audits of the state government accompanying the circuit breaker proposal would not raise enough revenue to fund it. Rendo countered that the Murphy campaign did not have a plan in place to address property tax rates and had published other policy proposals that would increase state tax rates.

Much of the discussion on the state's business climate was centered around Amazon's search for a site for its second corporate headquarters. Oliver and Rendo were asked to respond to Gov. Chris Christie's (R) endorsement of Newark as New Jersey's official bid to Amazon. Oliver responded that she had not yet made up her mind and was concerned over the $7 billion in tax breaks that were proposed as part of the bid, stating that she was in favor of limiting tax breaks. Rendo countered that tax breaks were a necessary incentive to attract companies to the state, adding that they would be offset by additional jobs.

October 10

Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno on New Jersey's economy

October 30, 2017: New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Phil Murphy (D) and Kim Guadagno (R) addressed the state's economy in the first debate. Guadagno claimed that more people are working than ever in the history of the state. Murphy claimed that "the labor market participation is at a 10-year low," and that New Jersey has fewer small businesses than when Guadagno and Gov. Christie took office.
Are the candidates’ competing claims about the economy accurate?

Read Ballotpedia's fact check »

The first gubernatorial debate of the general election was held in Newark on October 10, 2017. Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno clashed on property taxes, immigration, and marijuana in the hourlong debate. Many of the questions in the first half of the debate centered around fiscal policy, with the state's property taxes being a major point of discussion. Guadagno referred to her circuit breaker property tax plan, which would cap the amount a household pays on property taxes for local schools at five percent of total income, while Murphy argued that increased state funding for education would allow localities to lower property tax rates, asserting that sitting Gov. Chris Christie was responsible for $9 billion in cuts to education funding since taking office in 2010. Another fiscal issue raised was the interest arbitration cap, a policy prohibiting police officers and firefighters from receiving more than a two percent raise as a result of arbitration with local governments. The cap was set to expire on December 31, 2017. Guadagno called for the cap's renewal while Murphy stated that he had not yet come to a final decision.

On immigration, Murphy argued in favor of maintaining the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program while Guadagno called for its elimination on public safety grounds. The candidates also clashed on marijuana, with Murphy calling for the legalization of the substance for recreational use. Guadagno argued that it should instead be decriminalized.

Each candidate also referred to their opponent's past record. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Murphy "portrayed himself as a change agent and knocked Republican nominee Kim Guadagno, characterizing her as [sitting Gov.] Christie’s enabler." For her part, Guadagno referred to Murphy's time as the finance chair of the Democratic National Committee, noting that film producer Harvey Weinstein, who had recently been accused of a pattern of sexual harassment, had donated money to the Democratic Party under Murphy's tenure and arguing that Murphy had been too slow in condemning the producer after the allegations were made public.

Endorsements

Phil Murphy

Did New Jersey family planning cuts increase STD rates?

September 21, 2017: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has repeatedly vetoed $7.5 million in annual state funding for family planning services since 2010. According to Politico, groups such as Planned Parenthood claim the cut has led to a rise in sexually transmitted disease rates. But Christie and State Health Commissioner Cathleen Bennett say there is no such correlation.
Did the cut to family planning grants lead to increases in New Jersey’s rates of STDs?

Read Ballotpedia's fact check »

• Sierra Club
• Former Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore
• Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez
• 7 members of the U.S. House of Representatives
• 24 members of the New Jersey State Senate
  • State Senate President Steve Sweeney
• 52 members of the New Jersey General Assembly
  • General Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto
• Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka
• Camden Mayor Dana Redd
• Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop
• Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson
• Passaic Mayor Hector Lora
• Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
• Former Sen. Bill Bradley
• Primary opponents Bill Brennan, Jim Johnson, Raymond Lesniak, John Wisniewski, and Mark Zinna
• Former Secretary of State John Kerry
• The New York Times

Kim Guadagno

• Maggie's List
• 5 members of the New Jersey State Senate
• 9 members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Asbury Park Press
• New York Post

Seth Kaper-Dale

• Former presidential candidate Jill Stein

Campaign statistics

Polls

New Jersey Governor's Race 2017
Poll	Phil Murphy	Kim Guadagno	Other/Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Quinnipiac University (October 30 - November 5, 2017)	53%	41%	5%	+/-5.2	662
Rasmussen Reports (October 31 - November 1, 2017)	50%	35%	15%	+/-4.0	800
Gravis (October 30 - November 1, 2017)	46%	32%	22%	+/-4.0	611
Monmouth University (October 27-31, 2017)	53%	39%	9%	+/-4.3	529
AVERAGES	50.5%	36.75%	12.75%	+/-4.38	650.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

New Jersey Governor's Race 2017
Poll	Phil Murphy	Kim Guadagno	Other/Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Emerson College (October 26-28, 2017)	47%	31%	22%	+/-4.2	540
Quinnipiac University (October 19-24, 2017)	57%	37%	6%	+/-4.2	1,049
FOX News (October 14-16, 2017)	47%	33%	20%	+/-3.5	679
Fairleigh Dickinson University (October 11-15, 2017)	47%	32%	18%	+/-4.5	658
Stockton University (October 4-12, 2017)	51%	33%	15%	+/-4.1	585
Monmouth University (September 28 - October 1, 2017)	51%	37%	11%	+/-4.6	452
Suffolk University/USA Today (September 19-23, 2017)	44%	25%	31%	+/-4.4	500
Fox News Poll (September 17-19, 2017)	42%	29%	30%	+/-3.5	804
Quinnipiac University Poll (September 7 - 12, 2017)	58%	33%	9%	+/-4.5	875
Kim Guadagno Campaign (June 25-27, 2017)	36%	27%	21%	+/-4.0	600
NBC 4 New York/Marist College Poll (July 13 - 18, 2017)	54%	33%	12%	+/-3.3	895
Monmouth University Poll (July 6 - 9, 2017)	53%	26%	14%	+/-3.6	800
Quinnipiac University Poll (June 7 - 12, 2017)	55%	26%	14%	+/-3.8	1,103
Quinnipiac University Poll (March 9 - 13, 2017)	47%	25%	25%	+/-3.0	1,098
Quinnipiac University Poll (January 26 - 30, 2017)	45%	29%	22%	+/-2.8	1,240
AVERAGES	48.93%	30.4%	18%	+/-3.87	791.87
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

January 2017

A Quinnipiac University Poll released on January 31, 2017, found Democratic candidate Phil Murphy leading Republican Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno 45 percent to 29 percent, with 22 percent undecided. According to the poll, Murphy also led Guadagno 38 percent to 28 percent among independent voters, 80 percent to five percent among Democrats, 50 percent to 21 percent among women, and 40 percent to 37 percent among men. Guadagno led Murphy 72 percent to six percent among Republicans.

The poll also revealed that Murphy and Guadagno had limited name recognition among voters. At the time of the poll, 70 percent of voters had not heard enough information to form an opinion of Murphy while 61 percent did not feel informed enough to have an opinion of Guandagno.

"Following Gov. Christie, who - popular or unpopular - has dominated New Jersey news from the day he took office, the 2017 contenders are all but anonymous," said Mickey Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll.

"Murphy gets the Democratic vote and Guadagno has the Republican vote. It looks like Goldman Sachs - shades of Jon Corzine - versus the lieutenant governor who spent four years in Christie's shadow. Will other challengers perk up? Will it be strictly a party-line election? Will New Jersey live up to its reputation for political brawls? Time's a-wastin'," added Carroll.

March 2017

Quinnipiac University's next poll, released on March 15, 2017, found that the gap between the candidates had grown, as Murphy led Guadagno 47 percent to 25 percent, with 25 percent undecided. According to the poll, Murphy now led Guadagno 37 percent to 21 percent among independent voters, 82 percent to three percent among Democrats, 51 percent to 20 percent among women, and 42 percent to 31 percent among men. Guadagno still led Murphy among Republicans by a wider 76 percent to six percent.

Murphy and Guadagno's limited name recognition among voters had not changed. At the time of the poll, 70 percent of voters still had not heard enough information to form an opinion of Murphy while 63 percent did not feel informed enough to have an opinion of Guandagno.

Race ratings

Race Ratings: Governor of New Jersey (Open seat)
Race Tracker	Race Ratings
The Cook Political Report	Likely Democrat
Governing	Lean Democrat
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Democrat
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Likely Democrat
Decision Desk HQ	Likely Democrat
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance in the New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017

The second round of campaign finance reports in the general election was due in on October 27, 2017, and covered all contributions and expenditures made before October 24, 2017. Campaign finance reports were not available from the Riccardi and Ross campaigns.

Historical context

Gubernatorial elections in New Jersey, 1997-2017

Election results (Governor of New Jersey), 1997-2017
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Third-place candidate	Third-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2017	Phil Murphy	55.6%	Kim Guadagno	42.3%	Gina Genovese	0.6%	13.3%
2013	Chris Christie	60.3%	Barbara Buono	38.2%	Kenneth Kaplan	0.6%	22.1%
2009	Chris Christie	48.5%	Jon Corzine	44.9%	Chris Daggett	5.8%	3.6%
2005	Jon Corzine	53.5%	Doug Forrester	43.0%	Hector Castillo	1.3%	10.5%
2001	Jim McGreevey	56.4%	Bret Schundler	41.7%	Bill Schluter	1.1%	14.7%
1997	Christine Todd Whitman	46.9%	Jim McGreevey	45.8%	Murray Sabrin	4.7%	1.1%

In the five gubernatorial elections preceding the 2017 race, the Democratic candidate won twice and the Republican candidate won three times. Both Democratic candidates won with margins of victory larger than 10 percent. The smallest margin of victory was Republican Christine Todd Whitman's 1997 re-election by a 1.1 percent margin, while the largest was Republican Chris Christie's 2013 re-election by a 22.1 percent margin. The most successful third-party candidate in the past five cycles was independent Chris Daggett, who secured 5.8 percent of the vote in the 2009 election.

Presidential elections in New Jersey, 2000-2016

Election results (President of the United States), New Jersey 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Third-place candidate	Third-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	55.5%	Donald Trump	41.4%	Gary Johnson	1.9%	14.1%
2012	Barack Obama	58.4%	Mitt Romney	40.6%	Gary Johnson	0.6%	17.8%
2008	Barack Obama	57.1%	John McCain	41.6%	Ralph Nader	0.6%	15.5%
2004	John Kerry	52.9%	George W. Bush	46.2%	Ralph Nader	0.5%	6.7%
2000	Al Gore	56.1%	George W. Bush	40.3%	Ralph Nader	3.0%	15.8%

In the five presidential election cycles preceding 2017, the Democratic candidate has always won New Jersey. The smallest margin of victory was John Kerry's 2004 victory over George W. Bush by a 6.7 percent margin, while the largest was Barack Obama's 2012 victory over Mitt Romney by a 17.8 percent margin. The most successful minor party candidate in the five cycles preceding 2017 was Ralph Nader, who came in third in three separate elections and secured the highest margin of any third-party candidate with his three percent share of the vote in 2000.

Other elections

See also: New Jersey elections, 2017

Also on the ballot in 2017 were all 40 seats to the state Senate, all 80 seats to the general assembly, elections to all 17 school boards that are among the nation's top 1000 by enrollment, and municipal elections in three cities that are among the nation's 100 largest. There were also two ballot measures up for consideration in the 2017 elections.

Pivot counties

Ballotpedia has identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2012 and 2008. There are two of these pivot counties in New Jersey.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Gloucester County, New Jersey	0.48%	10.77%	12.16%
Salem County, New Jersey	15.00%	1.31%	3.92%

General election results

Governor of New Jersey - pivot counties, 2017
County	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)	Trump margin of victory - 2016 (%)	Obama margin of victory - 2012 (%)	Obama margin of victory - 2008 (%)
Gloucester County	Phil Murphy	55.2%	Kim Guadagno	42.4%	12.8%	0.5%	10.8%	12.2%
Salem County	Kim Guadagno	50.1%	Phil Murphy	45.3%	4.8%	15.0%	1.3%	3.9%
Average across pivot counties	Phil Murphy	50.3%	Kim Guadagno	46.3%	4.0%	7.7%	6.0%	8.0%
Statewide results	Phil Murphy	55.6%	Kim Guadagno	42.3%	13.3%	-14.1%	17.8%	15.5%

New Jersey's two pivot counties delivered a split result in the 2017 election; while Gloucester County went to Murphy, Salem County was won by Guadagno. In both pivot counties, Guadagno did not perform as strongly as Donald Trump did in 2016. In Gloucester County, Murphy won by a larger margin in 2017 than Barack Obama had in 2012 or 2008.

Primary results

Governor of New Jersey (Democratic primary) - pivot counties, 2017
County	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Third-place candidate	Third-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
Gloucester County	Phil Murphy	49.1%	John Wisniewski	26.4%	Jim Johnson	16.4%	22.7%
Salem County	John Wisniewski	31.9%	Phil Murphy	31.8%	Jim Johnson	18.4%	0.1%
Average across pivot counties	Phil Murphy	40.5%	John Wisniewski	29.2%	Jim Johnson	17.4%	11.3%
Statewide results	Phil Murphy	48.4%	Jim Johnson	21.9%	John Wisniewski	21.6%	26.5%

Governor of New Jersey (Republican primary) - pivot counties, 2017
County	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Third-place candidate	Third-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
Gloucester County	Jack Ciattarelli	34.4%	Kim Guadagno	34.2%	Steve Rogers	12.4%	0.2%
Salem County	Jack Ciattarelli	37.5%	Kim Guadagno	31.0%	Joseph Rudy Rullo	13.8%	6.5%
Average across pivot counties	Jack Ciattarelli	36.0%	Kim Guadagno	32.6%	Joseph Rudy Rullo	11.9%	3.4%
Statewide results	Kim Guadagno	46.7%	Jack Ciattarelli	31.0%	Hirsh Singh	9.7%	15.7%

The winners of both party's primary elections received a lower portion of the vote than average in New Jersey's two pivot counties. In the Democratic primary, Phil Murphy won in Gloucester County by a 23 percent margin, just below his nearly 27 percent margin statewide. However, he was defeated in Salem County by John Wisniewski. This was the only county Murphy did not win in the Democratic primary. In the Republican primary, both pivot counties were won by Jack Ciattarelli, who averaged a 3.4 percent margin of victory over Kim Guadagno in the state's pivot counties. Statewide, Guadagno defeated Ciattarelli by almost a 16 percent margin.

Party control in New Jersey

New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2024
Thirteen 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	23	24
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	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	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	D	D

At the time of the 2017 election, New Jersey had had a divided government since Republican Chris Christie assumed office in 2010, ending a five-year Democratic trifecta. Murphy's victory meant that the Democratic Party regained this trifecta. Democrats controlled both the New Jersey House of Representatives and the State Senate at the time of the election, while the state had not been represented in the U.S. Senate by a Republican since 1982, and its electoral votes had gone to the Democratic presidential candidate since 1992.

The office of governor in New Jersey has tended to alternate party control over the past century, with no single party controlling the seat for more than eight years since 1970. Recent elections for the office have not been particularly close; the narrowest margin of victory in the last five electoral cycles was in 2009, when Christie unseated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine.

According to a June 2016 report by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, eight campaign committees had already spent $5.9 million on behalf of the five candidates—mostly Democrats. The early momentum of the race for the Democratic nomination for governor compared to the relative quiet of the GOP race has caused speculation that the office will change party hands in 2017.

Primary elections

Click here for more information on the gubernatorial primary election
During a primary election, voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. New Jersey utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

New Jersey residents must register to vote at least 21 days prior to an election. Unaffiliated voters can declare a political party affiliation at the polls in order to take part in a party's primary. Voters who wish to change their political party affiliation must do so at least 55 days prior to the primary election.

New Jersey's primary election was held on June 6, 2017.

Incumbents Governor Chris Christie and Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R)

Republicans Governor Chris Christie and Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno were first elected in 2009, defeating Democratic incumbent Governor Jon Corzine and his running mate Loretta Weinberg by a margin of about 3.5 percent. The two 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% approval in November 2012 following Superstorm Sandy, a 16% increase from the previous month. Following his election to a second term in 2013 by a 22-point margin, Christie's popularity waned. His approval reached a low point of 18% in May 2017.

Christie ran for president in 2016 but dropped out of the race in February after placing sixth in the New Hampshire primary. Prior to his election as governor, Christie served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2008. He previously worked as a lobbyist and as a private practice attorney.

Guadagno also previously worked as an attorney. She first worked as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York, then as deputy chief of the corruption unit for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, and later as deputy director of the Division of Criminal Justice. She left the U.S. Attorney's office in 2001—prior to Christie's tenure in the office—to pursue a private practice and teach at Rutgers University School of Law - Newark.

About the offices

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive.

Under Article V, Section I:

The executive power shall be vested in a Governor.

Duties

The governor of New Jersey is considered one of the most powerful governorships in the nation as it is the only state-wide (non-federal) elected office in the state. Thus, unlike many other states that have elections for some cabinet-level positions, under the New Jersey State Constitution the governor appoints the entire cabinet, subject to confirmation by the New Jersey Senate.

The governor is charged with faithfully upholding and executing the laws of New Jersey, a power that includes enforcing all constitutional and statutory mandates as well as restraining actions. New Jersey's governor is also the commander-in-chief of the militia.

The governor nominates all general and flag officers and the state militia and has ultimate authority for seeing that the state's militia is properly trained.

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Granting all commissions given to elected and appointed officers

• Nominating officers to all appointed positions not otherwise provided for and making appointments, with the consent of the Senate

• Convening the entire legislature or the Senate for extraordinary sessions

• Vetoing bills subject to a super-majority override in the legislature

• Granting pardons and reprieves, excluding cases of treason and impeachment

Full history

To view the electoral history dating back to 2001 for the office of Governor of New Jersey, click [show] to expand the section.

2013 On November 5, 2013, Chris Christie won re-election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. On November 5, 2013, Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno (R) won re-election as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey. They defeated the Buono/Silva (D), Kaplan/Bell (L), Welzer/Alessandrini (I), Sare/Todd (I), Araujo/Salamanca (I), Schroeder/Moschella (I) and Boss/Thorne (I) ticket(s) in the general election. Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, 2013 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Chris Christie & Kim Guadagno 60.3% 1,278,932      Democratic Barbara Buono & Milly Silva 38.2% 809,978      Libertarian Kenneth Kaplan & Brenda Bell 0.6% 12,155      Independent Steven Welzer & Patricia Alessandrini 0.4% 8,295      Independent Diane Sare & Bruce Todd 0.2% 3,360      Independent William Araujo & Maria Salamanca 0.2% 3,300      Independent Hank Schroeder & Patricia Moschella 0.1% 2,784      Independent Jeff Boss & Robert Thorne 0.1% 2,062 Total Votes 2,120,866 Election Results Via: New Jersey Department of State 2009 On November 3, 2009, Chris Christie won election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Jon Corzine, Chris Daggett, Kenneth Kaplan, Gary Steele, Jason Cullen, and David Meiswinkle in the general election. Governor of New Jersey, 2012 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Chris Christie 48.6% 1,174,445      Democratic Jon Corzine Incumbent 45% 1,087,731      Independent Chris Daggett 5.8% 139,579      Libertarian Kenneth Kaplan 0.2% 4,830      Leadership, Independence, Vision Gary Steele 0.1% 3,585      People Not Politics Jason Cullen 0.1% 2,869      Middle Class Empowerment David Meiswinkle 0.1% 2,598 Total Votes 2,415,637 Election results via http://elections.nj.com/dynamic/files/elections/2009/by_state/NJ_Governor_1103.html?SITE=NJNEWELN&SECTION=POLITICS. 2005 On November 8, 2005, Jon Corzine won election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Douglas Forrester, Hector Castillo, Jeffrey Pawlowski, Matthew Thieke, Richard Codey, and Ed Forchion in the general election. Governor of New Jersey, 2005 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Jon Corzine 53.6% 1,224,551      Republican Douglas Forrester 43.1% 985,271      Independent Hector Castillo 1.3% 29,452      Libertarian Jeffrey Pawlowski 0.7% 15,417      Green Matthew Thieke 0.5% 12,315      Independent Richard Codey Incumbent 0.4% 9,668      Legalize Marijuana Ed Forchion 0.4% 9,137 Total Votes 2,285,811 Election results via http://nj.gov/state/elections/election-results/2005_official_gen_elect_gov.pdf. 2001 On November 6, 2001, James McGreevey won re-election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Bret Schundler, William Schluter, Jerry Coleman, Mark Edgerton, George Watson Jr, Michael Koontz, Constantino Rozzo, and Kari Sachs in the general election. Governor of New Jersey, 2001 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic James McGreevey 56.4% 1,256,853      Republican Bret Schundler 41.7% 928,174      Independent William Schluter 1.1% 24,084      Green Jerry Coleman 0.3% 6,238      Libertarian Mark Edgerton 0.2% 4,684      Free New Jersey George Watson Jr 0.1% 2,568      NJ Conservative Michael Koontz 0.1% 1,949      Socialist Constantino Rizzo 0.1% 1,537      Socialist Workers Kari Sachs 0% 1,078 Total Votes 2,227,165 Election results via .

State profile

Demographic data for New Jersey
	New Jersey	U.S.
Total population:	8,935,421	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	7,354	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	68.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	13.5%	12.6%
Asian:	9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	19%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	88.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	36.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$72,093	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in New Jersey

New Jersey voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in New Jersey, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Jersey had one Retained Pivot County and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 0.55 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More New Jersey coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in New Jersey
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• Endorsers in New Jersey
• New Jersey fact checks
• More...

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Jersey Governor election 2017. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017 - Google News

See also

New Jersey government:

• New Jersey state executive offices
• New Jersey State Legislature
• New Jersey courts

Elections:

• State executive official elections, 2017
• State executive official elections, 2016
• State executive official elections, 2015

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

Suggest a link

• Governor of New Jersey official website