1997 New Jersey gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{see also|1997 United States gubernatorial elections}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1997 New Jersey gubernatorial election
| country = New Jersey
| type = Presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1993 New Jersey gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1993
| next_election = 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election
| next_year = 2001
| election_date = November 4, 1997
| image1 = File:WhitmanChristineTodd.jpg
| image_size = x150px
| nominee1 = Christine Todd Whitman
| party1 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 1,133,394
| percentage1 = 46.9%
| image2 = File:Jim McGreevey 2009 Exodus 7 (cropped).jpg
| nominee2 = Jim McGreevey
| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 1,107,968
| percentage2 = 45.8%
| map_image = {{switcher |280px|County results |280px|Congressional district results{{efn|Only top two candidates}}}}
| map_size =
| map_caption = Whitman: {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}
McGreevey: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = Christine Todd Whitman
| before_party = Republican Party (United States)
| after_election = Christine Todd Whitman
| after_party = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{ElectionsNJ}}
The 1997 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1997. In the Democratic primary, state senator and Woodbridge Township mayor James McGreevey defeated pre-U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/04/nyregion/mcgreevey-wins-democratic-nod-for-governor.html|title=McGreevey Wins Democratic Nod for Governor|first=Brett|last=Pulley|date=June 4, 1997|via=NYTimes.com}} by 9,993 votes. In the general election, Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman defeated McGreevey by 26,953 votes. Whitman won 46.87% of the vote, with Democratic nominee James McGreevey receiving 45.82% and Libertarian Murray Sabrin receiving 4.7%.
Republican primary
=Candidates=
- Christine Todd Whitman, incumbent Governor of New Jersey
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Republican Party primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = {{nowrap|Christine Todd Whitman (incumbent)}}
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 147,731
| percentage = 100.00
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 147,731
| percentage= 100.00
}}
{{Election box end}}
Democratic primary
=Candidates=
- Jim McGreevey, Mayor of Woodbridge Township and New Jersey State Senator
- Rob Andrews, U.S. Representative
- Michael Murphy, Morris County Prosecutor
- Frank C. Marmo, perennial candidate
=Results=
[[File:1997 New Jersey gubernatorial Democratic primary results map by county.svg|thumb|280px|Democratic primary results by county
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#7996e2|McGreevey}}|{{legend|#a5b0ff|40–50%}}|{{legend|#7996e2|50–60%}}|{{legend|#6674de|60–70%}}|{{legend|#584cde|70–80%}}}}
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#5bc75b|Andrews}}|{{legend|#5bc75b|50–60%}}|{{legend|#41b742|60–70%}}|{{legend|#309a30|70–80%}}|{{legend|#217821|80–90%}}}}
{{collapsible list
| title = {{legend|#f9d440|Murphy}}|{{legend|#ffe680|40–50%}}|{{legend|#f4c200|60–70%}}}}
|center]]
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic Party primary results{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1997/1997-primary-election-results-governor.pdf |title=Official List Gubernatorial Primary Election Returns by County for Election held June 3, 1997 |website = New Jersey Division of Elections}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jim McGreevey
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 148,153
| percentage = 39.86
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Rob Andrews
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 138,160
| percentage = 37.17
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Michael Murphy
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 79,172
| percentage = 21.30
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Frank C. Marmo
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 6,189
| percentage = 1.67
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 371,674
| percentage= 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Clear}}
General election
=Candidates=
- James McGreevey (D), State Senator and Mayor of Woodbridge
- Murray Sabrin (L), Ramapo College professor
- Christine Todd Whitman (R), incumbent Governor
= Campaign =
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
In June, a 60-second radio ad paid for by the New Jersey Republican Party focused on the 30% income tax cut and 180,000 new jobs. Whitman's ads blamed McGreevey for the state's auto insurance rates. The Whitman campaign emphasized the drops in unemployment, violent crime and welfare rolls during her term. Other ads took aim at McGreevey's record on taxes, particularly his support for former Gov. Jim Florio's (D) tax increase. The RNC criticized former Gov. Jim Florio (D) in an ad October, calling his 1990 tax increase a result of electing "liberal Democrats".
In September, McGreevey unveiled two TV ads criticizing Whitman and focusing on property taxes, auto insurance rates, pension bond debts, and education standards. The Democratic National Committee also spent $1 million during the home stretch of the campaign on television ads for Democratic candidates statewide. In October, a poll found that voters of NJ called auto insurance the most important issue in the campaign, and property taxes second.
=Polling=
| class="wikitable" |
| valign= bottom
! style="width:200px;"| Poll source ! style="width:175px;"| Date(s) ! class=small | Sample ! Margin of ! style="width:100px;"| Jim ! style="width:100px;"| Christine Todd ! style="width:100px;"| Murray ! style="width:40px;"| Other ! style="width:40px;"| Undecided |
| Rutgers-Eagleton[https://eagletonpoll.parc.us.com/client/index.html#/search Rutgers-Eagleton]
| align=center|June 6–8, 1997 | align=center|602 RV | align=center|±3.5% | align=center| 38% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 44% | align=center|— | colspan="2" align=center| 18% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton
| align=center|June 11–16, 1997 | align=center|613 RV | align=center|±3.5% | align=center| 33% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 49% | align=center|— | colspan="2" align=center| 18% |
| rowspan="2" |Rutgers-Eagleton
| rowspan="2" align=center|September 2–7, 1997 | rowspan="2" align=center|673 RV | rowspan="2" align=center|±3.5% | align=center| 35% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 47% | align=center|— | colspan="2" align=center| 18% |
| align=center| 32%
| {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 47% | align=center|3% | colspan="2" align=center| 18% |
| Quinnipiac College{{Cite web|url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=813|title=New Jersey (NJ) Poll - September 16, 1997 - Whitman Holds 12-Point Lead An | Quinnipiac University Connecticut|date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519023550/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=813 |archive-date=May 19, 2014 }}
| align=center| September 8–13, 1997 | align=center| 865 | align=center| ±3.3% | align=center| 37% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 49% | align=center| — | align=center| 4% | align=center| 10% |
| rowspan="2" |Rutgers-Eagleton
| rowspan="2" align=center|October 12–15, 1997 | rowspan="2" align=center|631 RV | rowspan="2" align=center|±3.5% | align=center| 40% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 45% | align=center|— | colspan="2" align=center| 15% |
| align=center| 38%
| {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 42% | align=center| 6% | colspan="2" align=center| 14% |
| Quinnipiac College{{Cite web|url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=812|title=New Jersey (NJ) Poll - October 22, 1997 - McGreevey Trails Whitman By 8 | Quinnipiac University Connecticut|date=May 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519022147/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=812 |archive-date=May 19, 2014 }}
| align=center| October 14–20, 1997 | align=center| 1,120 | align=center| ±2.9% | align=center| 37% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 45% | align=center| 8% | align=center| 1% | align=center| 9% |
| New York Times/CBS News{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/31/nyregion/the-1997-elections-the-voters-new-jersey-poll-finds-volatility-among-voters.html?src=pm&pagewanted=2|title=New York Times/CBS News|website=The New York Times }}
| align=center| October 25–29, 1997 | align=center| 1,082 | align=center| ±3.0% | align=center| 33% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 44% | align=center| 8% | align=center| 3% | align=center| 12% |
| |Rutgers-Eagleton
| align=center|October 28–31, 1997 | align=center|613 LV | align=center|±3.0% | align=center| 36% | {{party shading/Republican}} align=center| 45% | align=center| 9% | colspan="2" align=center| 18% |
= Results =
This was the first gubernatorial election in the state since 1949 where a Republican won without Passaic County.
{{Election box begin | title=New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1997{{cite web |title=Official Results Gubernatorial General Election Returns by County for Election held November 4, 1997 |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1997/1997-general-election-results-governor.pdf |website=New Jersey Division of Elections}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = {{nowrap|Christine Todd Whitman (incumbent)}}
|votes = 1,133,394
|percentage = 46.87%
|change = {{decrease}}2.46
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Jim McGreevey
|votes = 1,107,968
|percentage = 45.82%
|change = {{decrease}}2.47
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Libertarian Party (US)
|candidate = Murray Sabrin
|votes = 114,172
|percentage = 4.72%
|change = {{increase}}4.40
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = New Jersey Conservative Party
|candidate = Richard J. Pezzullo
|votes = 34,906
|percentage = 1.44%
|change = {{increase}}1.24
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Green Party (US)
|candidate = Madelyn R. Hoffman
|votes = 10,703
|percentage = 0.44%
|change =N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent politician
|candidate = Michael Perrone, Jr.
|votes = 6,805
|percentage = 0.28%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Socialist Workers Party (US)
|candidate = Robert B. Miller
|votes = 2,816
|percentage = 0.12%
|change = {{increase}}0.07
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Socialist Party USA
|candidate = Greg Pason
|votes = 2,800
|percentage = 0.12%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Natural Law Party (United States)
|candidate = Lincoln Norton
|votes = 2,540
|percentage = 0.11%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent politician
|candidate = Nuncie A. Ripa, Jr.
|votes = 2,240
|percentage = 0.09%
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box plurality|
|votes = 25,426
|percentage = 1.05%
|change = {{increase}}0.01
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 2,418,344
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
|loser =
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
==Results by county==
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||
| County
! Whitman votes ! Whitman % ! McGreevey votes ! McGreevey % ! Other votes ! Other % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Atlantic | 31,364 | 47.3% | 29,091 | 43.9% | 5,791 | 8.7% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Bergen | 148,934 | 53.3% | 118,834 | 42.5% | 11,903 | 4.3% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Burlington | 55,523 | 43.5% | 60,690 | 47.5% | 11,485 | 9.0% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Camden | 51,643 | 35.7% | 82,028 | 56.7% | 10,933 | 7.6% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Cape May | 18,227 | 49.6% | 15,395 | 41.9% | 3,159 | 8.6% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Cumberland | 13,651 | 36.5% | 19,977 | 53.5% | 3,729 | 10.0% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Essex | 69,470 | 35.3% | 120,429 | 61.2% | 6,778 | 3.4% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Gloucester | 30,314 | 38.4% | 41,082 | 52.1% | 7,519 | 9.5% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Hudson | 47,468 | 35.6% | 80,526 | 60.4% | 5,394 | 4.0% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Hunterdon | 24,465 | 59.5% | 10,983 | 26.7% | 5,698 | 13.8% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Mercer | 44,056 | 40.8% | 54,977 | 50.9% | 8,905 | 8.3% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Middlesex | 83,149 | 39.3% | 110,354 | 52.2% | 17,911 | 5.5% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Monmouth | 105,535 | 53.9% | 74,098 | 37.8% | 16,189 | 8.3% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Morris | 97,414 | 65.4% | 41,296 | 27.7% | 10,252 | 6.9% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Ocean | 84,897 | 53.8% | 57,944 | 36.7% | 15,076 | 9.5% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Passaic | 55,541 | 45.2% | 60,256 | 49.1% | 6,966 | 5.7% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Salem | 10,686 | 49.9% | 8,790 | 41.0% | 1,950 | 9.1% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Somerset | 51,465 | 57.4% | 29,089 | 32.4% | 9,154 | 10.2% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Sussex | 25,458 | 60.4% | 11,331 | 26.9% | 5,332 | 12.7% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Democratic}}| Union | 68,721 | 46.6% | 69,673 | 47.2% | 9,065 | 6.1% |
| align="center" {{party shading/Republican}}| Warren | 15,413 | 50.8% | 11,125 | 36.7% | 3,793 | 12.5% |
==Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican==
==Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic==
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{United States elections, 1997}}