2001 New Jersey Senate election
The 2001 New Jersey Senate election was held on November 6. The election took place alongside Jim McGreevey's landslide election as Governor of New Jersey and were held in the immediate aftermath of the 11 attacks, which killed 750 New Jerseyans and impacted many others. Under a newly redrawn map, Democrats gained five seats to split control of the Senate evenly. Democrats flipped districts 3, 18, 22, 34, and 38.
A power-sharing agreement was reached with John O. Bennett and Richard Codey as co-presidents of the Senate. This is the last time Democrats did not win an outright majority of New Jersey State Senate seats, as well as the last time any Senate seats in North Jersey changed parties.
| Contents Incumbents not running • Summary of results By District: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 |
Background
Redistricting
As required, the New Jersey legislature redistricted its state legislative districts in advance of the 2001 election. Most Senators remained in their existing districts, though Senator Kevin J. O'Toole was redistricted to the 40th district and chose not to challenge.The new map was based on a revised Democratic map chosen by Professor Larry Bartels of Princeton University, the non-partisan member of the reapportionment commission.
Republicans challenged the district map under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, arguing that by shifting some African-American and Hispanic voters out of three predominantly minority districts in and around Newark and spreading them to other, mostly white districts, the plan diluted minority voting strength. The case was rejected by the U.S. Court for the District of New Jersey. The Republican suit was dismissed partly under the influence of the near-unanimous support of New Jersey's incumbent minority legislators for the Democratic claim that their map would result in more minority representation, rather than less.
Incumbents not running for re-election
Democratic
Republican
Summary of results by State Senate district
Close races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:- '
- gain
- '
- '
- '
- ''' gain'''
District 1
General election
Candidates
- James Cafiero, incumbent Senator since 1990
- William J. Hughes Jr., federal antitrust prosecutor and son of former U.S. Representative William J. Hughes
District 2
General election
Candidates
- David Alcantara
- Bill Gormley, incumbent Senator since 1982
District 3
General election
Candidates
- Stephen Sweeney, ironworker and Gloucester County Freeholder
- Raymond Zane, incumbent Senator since 1974
District 4
General election
Candidates
- Joseph L. Manganello
- John Matheussen, incumbent Senator since 1992
District 5
General election
Candidates
- Wayne R. Bryant, incumbent Senator since 1995
- Maryann T. Callahan
District 6
General election
Candidates
- John Adler, incumbent Senator since 1992
- Jane A. Greenfogel
District 7
General election
Candidates
- Diane Allen, incumbent Senator since 1998
- Lou Gallagher, U.S. Navy SEAL
District 8
General election
Candidates
- Martha W. Bark, incumbent Senator since 1997
- Gary E. Haman
District 9
General election
Candidates
- Leonard T. Connors, incumbent Senator since 1982 and mayor of Surf City
- Mark Schreckstein
- Peter A. Terranova
District 10
General election
Candidates
- Andrew R. Ciesla, incumbent Senator since 1992
- Timothy E. Ryan
District 11
General election
Candidates
- Maureen O'Rourke
- Joseph A. Palaia, incumbent Senator since 1989 and president pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate
District 12
General election
Candidates
- John O. Bennett, incumbent Senator since 1989 and Senate Majority Leader
- Amy I. Aughenbaugh
District 13
General election
Candidates
- Kiran Desai, Old Bridge accountant
- Joe Kyrillos, incumbent Senator since 1992
District 14
General election
Candidates
- Peter Inverso, incumbent Senator since 1992
- Samuel Plumeri Jr., Mercer County Freeholder
District 15
General election
Candidates
- Thomas D. Abrams
- Norbert E. Donelly
- Shirley Turner, incumbent Senator since 1998
District 16
General election
Candidates
- Walter J. Kavanaugh, incumbent Senator since 1998
- Daniel Wartenberg
District 17
General election
Candidates
- Skip House
- Bob Smith, member of the General Assembly and former mayor of Piscataway
District 18
General election
Candidates
- Barbara Buono, member of the General Assembly
- John G. Cito
District 19
General election
Candidates
- Naresh Gidwani
- Joe Vitale, incumbent Senator since 1998
District 20
General election
Candidates
- Raymond Lesniak, incumbent Senator since 1983
- Daniel M. Nozza
District 21
General election
Candidates
- Richard Bagger, member of the General Assembly since 1992
- Ellen Steinberg
District 22
General election
Candidates
- Milt Campbell, former Olympic decathlete and professional football player
- Joseph Suliga, member of the General Assembly since 1994
District 23
General election
Candidates
- Frederick P. Cook
- Leonard Lance, member of the General Assembly since 1991 and son of former Senator Wesley Lance
District 24
General election
Candidates
- Robert Littell, incumbent Senator since 1990
- Edwin Selby
District 25
General election
Candidates
- Anthony Bucco, incumbent Senator since 1998
- Horace Chamberlain
District 26
General election
Candidates
- Robert Martin, incumbent Senator since 1993
- Paul E. Pinney
District 27
General election
Candidates
- Richard Codey, incumbent Senator since 1982
- Donald Page
- Jared Silverman
District 28
General election
Candidates
- Brian E. Coleman
- Marion Crecco, member of the General Assembly since 1986
- Ronald Rice, incumbent Senator since 1986
District 29
General election
Candidates
- Sharpe James, incumbent Senator since 1999 and mayor of Newark
District 30
General election
Candidates
- Timothy J. Konopka
- Robert Singer, incumbent Senator since 1993
District 31
General election
Candidates
- Joseph Charles, member of the General Assembly since 1982
- Martin J. McFadden
District 32
General election
Candidates
- Martin J. McFadden
- Nicholas Sacco, incumbent Senator since 1994 and mayor of North Bergen
- Herbert H. Shaw, perennial candidate
- Louis Vernotico
District 33
General election
Candidates
- Bernard Kenny, incumbent Senator since 1993
- Nancy Gaynor
District 34
General election
Candidates
- Nia Gill, member of the General Assembly since 1994
- Norman M. Robertson, incumbent Senator since 1998
- Marie Yvrose Celestin
District 35
General election
Candidates
- John Girgenti, incumbent Senator since 1990
District 36
General election
Candidates
- Joseph Farallo
- Garry Furnari, incumbent Senator since 1998
- John V. Kelly, member of the General Assembly since 1986
District 37
General election
Candidates
- Byron Baer, incumbent Senator since 1994
- Jonathan L. Bender
District 38
General election
Candidates
- Joseph Coniglio, former Paramus borough council president
- Louis F. Kosco, incumbent Senator since 1992
District 39
General election
Candidates
- Alan Baskin
- Gerald Cardinale, incumbent Senator since 1982
- George E. Soroka
District 40
General election
Candidates
- Henry McNamara, incumbent Senator since 1985
- Jack Nigro