 | |||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 49%[1] ( ) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 County results Congressional district results Municipality resultsCorzine: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Forrester: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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The2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race to determine thegovernor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005.Democratic governorRichard Codey, who replaced GovernorJim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.
The primary election was held on June 7, 2005. U.S. senatorJon Corzine won the Democratic nomination without serious opposition. Former West Windsor MayorDoug Forrester received the Republican nomination with a plurality of 36%. Corzine defeated Forrester in the general election. New Jersey is reliably Democratic at the federal level, but this was the first time since 1977 in which Democrats won more than one consecutive gubernatorial election in the state. This was the first time since 1965 that a Democrat won a gubernatorial race without Ocean County, and the first since 1961 that they did so without Monmouth County.
The 2005 general election also saw a public referendum question on the ballot for the voters to decide whether to create a position oflieutenant governor, alter the state's order of succession, and whether thestate's first lieutenant governor would be chosen in the subsequent gubernatorial election held in 2009.[2][3] The question passed by a tally of 836,134 votes (56.1%) to 655,333 (43.9%).[4] To date, this is the most recent election thatSalem County voted for the Democratic candidate in a gubernatorial race.
GovernorJim McGreevey was elected in 2001 by a large margin but resigned from office in November 2004 afterGolan Cipel, an Israeli national and former advisor to the Governor, threatened to bring a lawsuit for sexual harassment, and thus reveal McGreevey was homosexual. Though McGreevey admitted to an "adult consensual affair with another man" on August 12, 2004, he announced that he would not resign from office until November 15, after the fall general election.[5][6][7][8]
McGreevey's decision to delay the effective date of his resignation until after September 3, 2004, avoided a November special election for governor, which would have coincided withthe election for President of the United States. The 2004 election betweenGeorge W. Bush andJohn Kerry was expected to be competitive, the political aftermath of theSeptember 11 attacks in the state, and some observers speculated that McGreevey's decision to delay his resignation was designed to improve Kerry's political position and preserve Democratic Party control of the office of governor.[9][10][11]
Republicans and Democrats alike called upon McGreevey to make his resignation effective immediately.[12][13]The New York Times editorial board opined, "Mr. McGreevey's strategy to delay resignation does not serve New Jersey residents well. The state will be led by an embattled governor mired in personal and legal problems for three months."[14] On September 15, U.S. District JudgeGarrett E. Brown Jr. dismissedAfran v. McGreevey,[15] a lawsuit by Green Party members claiming that the postponement of McGreevey's resignation had left a vacancy, thereby violating New Jerseyans'voting rights.[16][17]
New Jersey Senate PresidentRichard Codey took office upon McGreevey's resignation[18] and served the remainder of the term until January 17, 2006.[19] At the time of McGreevey's resignation, theNew Jersey State Constitution stipulated that the Senate president retains that position while serving as acting governor.[20] In the wake of McGreevey's resignation, and in consideration of other past New Jersey governors who had left office before the end of their terms,[21][22] the New Jersey legislature passed a resolution establishing a public referendum on the creation of the position ofLieutenant Governor of New Jersey.[23]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Richard Codey | Jon Corzine | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[26] | November 9–15, 2004 | 814 RV | ±3.4% | 20% | 60% | 1% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac[27] | January 18–24, 2005 | 433 RV | ±4.7% | 33% | 43% | 0% | 23% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jon S. Corzine | 207,670 | 88.08 | |
| Democratic | James D. Kelly, Jr. | 19,512 | 8.28 | |
| Democratic | Francis X. Tenaglio | 8,596 | 3.65 | |
| Total votes | 235,778 | 100.00 | ||
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Todd Caliguire | Paul Di Gaetano | Doug Forrester | Steve Lonegan | John Murphy | Bob Schroeder | Bret Schundler | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[27] | January 18–24, 2005 | 329 RV | ±5.4% | 0% | 1% | 32% | 0% | 3% | 0% | 32% | 3% | 30% |
| Quinnipiac[31] | March 9–14, 2005 | 268 RV | ±6.0% | 0% | 0% | 33% | 1% | 2% | 0% | 29% | 3% | 31% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Diane Allen | Chris Christie | Doug Forrester | Bret Schundler | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[26] | November 9–15, 2004 | 623 RV | ±3.9% | 11% | 12% | 19% | 34% | 0% | 24% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Doug Forrester | 108,941 | 36.01 | |
| Republican | Bret Schundler | 94,417 | 31.21 | |
| Republican | John J. Murphy | 33,800 | 11.17 | |
| Republican | Steve Lonegan | 24,433 | 8.08 | |
| Republican | Robert Schroeder | 16,763 | 5.54 | |
| Republican | Paul DiGaetano | 16,684 | 5.52 | |
| Republican | Todd Caliguire | 7,463 | 2.47 | |
| Total votes | 302,501 | 100.00 | ||
The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission declared that the four candidates would be included in the official gubernatorial debates to be aired onNJN. They includedJeffrey Pawlowski and Hector Castillo.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[32] | Likely D | October 25, 2005 |
| Source | Date | Sample size | Margin of error | Jon Corzine (D) | Doug Forrester (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[33] | August 19–23, 2004 | 887 RV | ±3.3% | 50% | 27% | 2% | 21% |
| Quinnipiac[26] | November 9–15, 2004 | 2,235 RV | ±2.1% | 51% | 29% | 1% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac[27] | January 18–24, 2004 | 1,215 RV | ±2.8% | 51% | 29% | 1% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac[31] | March 9–14, 2005 | 937 RV | ±3.2% | 50% | 33% | 1% | 16% |
| Rasmussen[34] | June 8, 2005 | 47% | 40% | 5% | 8% | ||
| Rutgers[35] | June 12, 2005 | 43% | 33% | – | – | ||
| Quinnipiac[36] | June 15, 2005 | 47% | 37% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[37] | July 15, 2005 | 50% | 38% | 4% | 8% | ||
| Strategic Vision[38] | July 19, 2005 | 48% | 40% | – | – | ||
| Fairleigh Dickinson-PublicMind[39] | July 21, 2005 | 47% | 34% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[40] | August 7, 2005 | 45% | 37% | 5% | – | ||
| Quinnipiac[41] | August 10, 2005 | 50% | 40% | – | – | ||
| Strategic Vision[42] | August 18, 2005 | 50% | 40% | – | – | ||
| Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers[43] | September 12, 2005 | 48% | 28% | – | – | ||
| Strategic Vision[44] | September 16, 2005 | 47% | 36% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[45] | September 19, 2005 | 47% | 36% | 5% | – | ||
| Fairleigh-Dickinson[46] | September 26, 2005 | 48% | 38% | 4% | 10% | ||
| Monmouth University[47] | September 28, 2005 | 46% | 38% | – | – | ||
| Quinnipiac[48] | September 28, 2005 | 48% | 44% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[49] | October 6, 2005 | 45% | 38% | 5% | – | ||
| Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers[50] | October 3–6, 2005 | 44% | 37% | – | – | ||
| Marist[51] | October 10, 2005 | 44% | 43% | – | – | ||
| Survey USA[52] | October 11, 2005 | 49% | 41% | 5% | 5% | ||
| Strategic Vision[53] | October 13, 2005 | 46% | 40% | – | – | ||
| Quinnipiac[54] | October 19, 2005 | 50% | 43% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[55] | October 20, 2005 | 49% | 40% | 3% | – | ||
| Survey USA[56] | October 25, 2005 | 50% | 41% | 7% | 3% | ||
| Strategic Vision[57] | November 2, 2005 | 48% | 42% | – | – | ||
| Fairleigh-Dickinson[58] | November 2, 2005 | 44% | 40% | 3% | 13% | ||
| Quinnipiac[59] | November 2, 2005 | 50% | 38% | – | – | ||
| Marist College[60] | November 4, 2005 | 51% | 41% | – | – | ||
| Monmouth University[61] | November 4, 2005 | 47% | 38% | – | – | ||
| Rasmussen[62] | November 6, 2005 | 44% | 39% | 5% | 12% | ||
| Quinnipiac[63] | November 7, 2005 | 52% | 45% | – | – | ||
| Survey USA[64] | November 7, 2005 | 50% | 44% | 5% | 2% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jim McGreevey (D) | Diane Allen (R) | Chris Christie (R) | Doug Forrester (R) | Bret Schundler (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[65] | July 30–August 2, 2004 | 996 RV | ±3.1% | 38% | 32% | – | – | – | 2% | 28% |
| 40% | – | 27% | – | – | 2% | 31% | ||||
| 41% | – | – | 34% | – | 3% | 23% | ||||
| 40% | – | – | – | 37% | 2% | 20% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Richard Codey (D) | Diane Allen (R) | Chris Christie (R) | Doug Forrester (R) | Bret Schundler (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[26] | November 9–15, 2004 | 2,235 RV | ±2.1% | 39% | 28% | – | – | – | 1% | 31% |
| 40% | – | 27% | – | – | 1% | 32% | ||||
| 39% | – | – | 32% | – | 1% | 27% | ||||
| 40% | – | – | – | 34% | 1% | 25% | ||||
| Quinnipiac[27] | January 18–24, 2004 | 1,215 RV | ±2.8% | 53% | – | – | 25% | – | 1% | 22% |
| 54% | – | – | – | 26% | 1% | 20% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jon Corzine (D) | Diane Allen (R) | Chris Christie (R) | Bob Franks (R) | Bret Schundler (R) | Christine Whitman (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac[33] | August 19–23, 2004 | 887 RV | ±3.3% | 49% | 24% | – | – | – | – | 2% | 24% |
| 53% | – | 22% | – | – | – | 1% | 24% | ||||
| 52% | – | – | 24% | – | – | 1% | 23% | ||||
| 48% | – | – | – | 32% | – | 1% | 19% | ||||
| 48% | – | – | – | – | 37% | 1% | 14% | ||||
| Quinnipiac[26] | November 9–15, 2004 | 2,235 RV | ±2.1% | 51% | 25% | – | – | – | – | 1% | 23% |
| 51% | – | 24% | – | – | – | 1% | 23% | ||||
| 51% | – | – | – | 30% | – | 1% | 18% | ||||
| Quinnipiac[27] | January 18–24, 2004 | 1,215 RV | ±2.8% | 52% | – | – | – | 28% | – | 1% | 18% |
| Quinnipiac[31] | March 9–14, 2005 | 937 RV | ±3.2% | 50% | – | – | – | 34% | – | 1% | 15% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jon Corzine | 1,224,551 | 53.47% |  2.96 | |
| Republican | Doug Forrester | 985,271 | 43.02% |  1.34 | |
| Independent | Hector Castillo | 29,452 | 1.29% | N/A | |
| Libertarian | Jeffrey Pawlowski | 15,417 | 0.67% | 0.46 | |
| Green | Matthew Thieke | 12,315 | 0.54% | 0.26 | |
| Legalize Marijuana | Edward Forchion | 9,137 | 0.40% | N/A | |
| Independent | Michael Latigona | 5,169 | 0.23% | ||
| Independent | Wesley Bell | 4,178 | 0.18% | N/A | |
| Socialist Workers | Angela Lariscy | 2,531 | 0.11% | 0.06 | |
| Socialist | Constantino Rozzo | 2,078 | 0.09% | 0.02 | |
| Majority | 239,280 | 10.45% | −4.31% | ||
| Turnout | 2,290,099 | ||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
Shift by county
Trend by county
County flipsDemocratic Hold | Republican Hold Gain from Democratic
|
| County | Corzine votes | Corzine % | Forrester votes | Forrester % | Other votes | Other % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 34,539 | 53.3% | 28,004 | 43.2% | 2,238 | 3.5% |
| Bergen | 142,319 | 55.6% | 108,017 | 42.2% | 5,683 | 2.2% |
| Burlington | 64,421 | 50.5% | 57,908 | 45.4% | 5,203 | 4.1% |
| Camden | 76,955 | 60.4% | 45,079 | 35.4% | 5,458 | 4.3% |
| Cape May | 14,375 | 45.2% | 16,179 | 50.9% | 1,243 | 3.9% |
| Cumberland | 18,580 | 57.2% | 12,692 | 39.0% | 1,231 | 3.8% |
| Essex | 131,312 | 72.7% | 45,789 | 25.4% | 3,456 | 1.9% |
| Gloucester | 41,128 | 53.2% | 33,225 | 43.0% | 3,004 | 3.9% |
| Hudson | 87,409 | 75.4% | 25,769 | 22.2% | 2,691 | 2.3% |
| Hunterdon | 15,004 | 33.6% | 27,521 | 61.6% | 2,179 | 4.9% |
| Mercer | 56,592 | 57.1% | 38,871 | 39.2% | 3,596 | 3.6% |
| Middlesex | 107,176 | 56.0% | 75,021 | 39.2% | 9,085 | 4.7% |
| Monmouth | 85,187 | 43.8% | 101,085 | 51.9% | 8,376 | 4.3% |
| Morris | 60,986 | 41.3% | 82,550 | 56.0% | 3,997 | 2.7% |
| Ocean | 71,953 | 41.6% | 93,693 | 54.2% | 7,242 | 4.2% |
| Passaic | 61,803 | 57.9% | 41,532 | 38.9% | 3,413 | 3.2% |
| Salem | 10,057 | 48.6% | 9,608 | 46.5% | 1,008 | 4.9% |
| Somerset | 40,459 | 43.3% | 49,406 | 52.8% | 3,661 | 3.9% |
| Sussex | 14,854 | 35.1% | 25,283 | 59.7% | 2,182 | 5.2% |
| Union | 77,982 | 59.2% | 50,036 | 38.0% | 3,677 | 2.8% |
| Warren | 11,460 | 36.8% | 18,003 | 57.9% | 1,654 | 5.3% |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
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{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Articles II, IV, V, and XI of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey
Candidates