1997 New Jersey gubernatorial election
November 4, 1997
 
Nominee Christine Todd Whitman Jim McGreevey
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,133,394 1,107,968
Percentage 46.9% 45.8%
Whitman:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
McGreevey:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Governor before election

Christine Todd Whitman
Republican

 Elected Governor

Christine Todd Whitman
Republican

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[1] 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

Results

Republican Party primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Christine Todd Whitman (incumbent) 147,731 100.00
Total votes 147,731 100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results by county
  McGreevey
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Andrews
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Murphy
  •   40–50%
  •   60–70%
Democratic Party primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim McGreevey 148,153 39.86
Democratic Rob Andrews 138,160 37.17
Democratic Michael Murphy 79,172 21.30
Democratic Frank C. Marmo 6,189 1.67
Total votes 371,674 100

General election

Candidates

Campaign

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

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Jim
McGreevey (D)		 Christine Todd
Whitman (R)		 Murray
Sabrin (L)		 Other Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton June 6–8, 1997 602 RV ±3.5% 38% 44% — 18%
Rutgers-Eagleton June 11–16, 1997 613 RV ±3.5% 33% 49% — 18%
Rutgers-Eagleton September 2–7, 1997 673 RV ±3.5% 35% 47% — 18%
32% 47% 3% 18%
Quinnipiac College September 8–13, 1997 865 ±3.3% 37% 49% — 4% 10%
Rutgers-Eagleton October 12–15, 1997 631 RV ±3.5% 40% 45% — 15%
38% 42% 6% 14%
Quinnipiac College October 14–20, 1997 1,120 ±2.9% 37% 45% 8% 1% 9%
New York Times/CBS News October 25–29, 1997 1,082 ±3.0% 33% 44% 8% 3% 12%
Rutgers-Eagleton October 28–31, 1997 613 LV ±3.0% 36% 45% 9% 18%

Results

New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1997[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Christine Todd Whitman (incumbent) 1,133,394 46.87% Decrease2.46
Democratic Jim McGreevey 1,107,968 45.82% Decrease2.47
Libertarian Murray Sabrin 114,172 4.72% Increase4.40
Conservative Richard J. Pezzullo 34,906 1.44% Increase1.24
Green Madelyn R. Hoffman 10,703 0.44% N/A
Independent Michael Perrone, Jr. 6,805 0.28% N/A
Socialist Workers Robert B. Miller 2,816 0.12% Increase0.07
Socialist Greg Pason 2,800 0.12% N/A
Natural Law Lincoln Norton 2,540 0.11% N/A
Independent Nuncie A. Ripa, Jr. 2,240 0.09% N/A
Plurality 25,426 1.05% Increase0.01
Turnout 2,418,344
Republican hold Swing

Results by county

County Whitman votes Whitman % McGreevey votes McGreevey % Other votes Other %
Atlantic31,36447.3%29,09143.9%5,7918.7%
Bergen148,93453.3%118,83442.5%11,9034.3%
Burlington55,52343.5%60,69047.5%11,4859.0%
Camden51,64335.7%82,02856.7%10,9337.6%
Cape May18,22749.6%15,39541.9%3,1598.6%
Cumberland13,65136.5%19,97753.5%3,72910.0%
Essex69,47035.5%120,42961.2%6,7783.4%
Gloucester30,31438.4%41,08252.1%7,5199.5%
Hudson47,46835.6%80,52660.4%5,3944.0%
Hunterdon24,46559.5%10,98326.7%5,69813.8%
Mercer44,05640.8%54,97750.9%8,9058.3%
Middlesex83,14939.3%110,35452.2%17,9115.5%
Monmouth105,53553.9%74,09837.8%16,1898.3%
Morris97,41465.4%41,29627.7%10,2526.9%
Ocean84,89753.8%57,94436.7%15,0769.5%
Passaic55,54145.2%60,25649.1%6,9665.7%
Salem10,68649.9%8,79041.0%1,9509.1%
Somerset51,46557.4%29,08932.4%9,15410.2%
Sussex25,45860.4%11,33126.9%5,33212.7%
Union68,72146.6%69,67347.2%9,0656.1%
Warren15,41350.8%11,12536.7%3,79312.5%

Notes

  1. ↑ Only top two candidates

References

  1. ↑ Pulley, Brett (June 4, 1997). "McGreevey Wins Democratic Nod for Governor" – via NYTimes.com.
  2. 1 2 "Official List Gubernatorial Primary Election Returns by County for Election held June 3, 1997" (PDF). New Jersey Division of Elections.
  3. ↑ "Official Results Gubernatorial General Election Returns by County for Election held November 4, 1997" (PDF). New Jersey Division of Elections.
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