2 of the 100 seats in theUnited States Senate 51 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results of the elections: Democratic gain Democratic hold No election | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There were two special elections to theUnited States Senate in 2013; ordered by election date:
| State (linked to summaries below) | Incumbent | Results | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Party | Electoral history | |||
| Massachusetts (Class 2) | Mo Cowan | Democratic | 2013 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senatorelectedJune 25, 2013. Democratic hold. |
|
| New Jersey (Class 2) | Jeffrey Chiesa | Republican | 2013 (Appointed) | Interim appointee retired. New senatorelectedOctober 16, 2013. Democratic gain. |
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Markey: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Gomez: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A special election was held June 25, 2013 to fill theClass 2 seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2015.
The vacancy that prompted the special election was created by the resignation of SenatorJohn Kerry, in order to becomeU.S. Secretary of State.[1] On January 30, 2013,GovernorDeval Patrick chose his former Chief of StaffMo Cowan to serve as interim U.S. Senator. Cowan declined to participate in the election. A party primary election was held April 30 to determinate the nominees of each party for the general election. TheMassachusetts Democrats nominated congressmanEd Markey, while theMassachusetts Republicans nominatedGabriel E. Gomez, a businessman and formerNavy SEAL.
The special primary elections took place on April 30. Democratic CongressmanEd Markey and Republican businessmanGabriel E. Gomez won their respective primaries.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Markey | 311,219 | 57.0 | |
| Democratic | Stephen Lynch | 230,335 | 43.0 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gabriel Gomez | 96,276 | 51.0 | |
| Republican | Michael J. Sullivan | 67,918 | 36.0 | |
| Republican | Daniel Winslow | 24,630 | 13.0 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edward Markey | 642,988 | 54.71% | ||
| Republican | Gabriel Gomez | 525,080 | 44.53% | ||
| Twelve Visions Party | Richard Heos | 4,518 | 0.39% | n/a | |
| Write-ins and Blank | 4,495 | 0.38% | n/a | ||
| Majority | 120,122 | 10.18% | |||
| Turnout | 1,179,781 | ||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Booker: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Lonegan: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A special election was held October 16, 2013 to fill theClass 2 seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2015. The vacancy resulted from the death of five-term DemocratFrank Lautenberg on June 3, 2013.[4] In the interim, the seat was held by Republican SenatorJeffrey Chiesa, who was appointed on June 6, 2013 byNew Jersey GovernorChris Christie to serve until the elected winner was sworn in.[5] At the time of his appointment, Chiesa, then New Jersey'sAttorney General, announced that he would not be a candidate in the special election.[6]
Following Lautenberg's death, there was a great deal of speculation and controversy over when a special election would or could be scheduled, but the following day, June 4, 2013, Christie announced that the primary would take place on August 13, 2013, and the special election on October 16, 2013.[7] Christie was criticized for scheduling a separate election for Senate when agubernatorial election was already taking place in November. In the primary elections, theRepublicans nominated formerBogota MayorSteve Lonegan and theDemocrats nominatedNewark MayorCory Booker.[8] Booker led in every opinion poll and the race was called for him at approximately 9:45 pm EDT on October 16, 2013. Booker resigned asMayor of Newark and was sworn in on October 31, 2013 to become the juniorU.S. senator from New Jersey.
The special primary elections took place on August 13. Former Republican Mayor of BogotaSteve Lonegan and Democratic Mayor of NewarkCory Booker won their respective primaries.[8] They faced off against sixIndependent/Third Party candidates in the October 16, 2013 general election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Lonegan | 103,280 | 80.09% | |
| Republican | Alieta Eck | 25,669 | 19.91% | |
| Total votes | 128,958 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cory Booker | 216,936 | 59.17% | |
| Democratic | Frank Pallone | 72,584 | 19.80% | |
| Democratic | Rush D. Holt Jr. | 61,463 | 16.76% | |
| Democratic | Sheila Oliver | 15,656 | 4.27% | |
| Total votes | 366,639 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cory Booker | 740,742 | 54.92% | −1.11% | |
| Republican | Steve Lonegan | 593,684 | 44.02% | +2.07% | |
| Independent | Edward C. Stackhouse, Jr. | 5,138 | 0.38% | N/A | |
| Independent | Robert Depasquale | 3,137 | 0.23% | N/A | |
| Independent | Stuart David Meissner | 2,051 | 0.15% | N/A | |
| Independent | Pablo Olivera | 1,530 | 0.11% | N/A | |
| Independent | Antonio Nico Sabas | 1,336 | 0.10% | N/A | |
| Independent | Eugene M. LaVergne | 1,041 | 0.08% | N/A | |
| Total votes | '1,348,659' | '100.0%' | N/A | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||