The 1997 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1997. In the Democratic primary, state senator and Woodbridge Township mayor Jim McGreevey defeated U.S. Representative Rob Andrews 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 McGreevey receiving 45.82% and Libertarian Murray Sabrin receiving 4.7%.

Republican primary Candidates Christine Todd Whitman, incumbent Governor of New Jersey

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Jim McGreevey, mayor of Woodbridge and state senator Rob Andrews, U.S. Representative from Haddon Heights Michael Murphy, Morris County Prosecutor and stepson of former governor Richard J. Hughes Frank C. Marmo, perennial candidate

Results

General election Candidates Madelyn R. Hoffman, Flanders grassroots activist (Green) James McGreevey, state senator and mayor of Woodbridge (Democratic) Robert B. Miller, Newark assembly line worker (Socialist Workers) Lincoln Norton, Morristown software executive (Natural Law) Greg Pason, Hackensack small businessman (Socialist) Michael Perrone Jr., Little Ferry liquor store owner (Progressive) Richard J. Pezzullo, Freehold computer consultant (Conservative) Nuncie A. Ripa Jr., Hammonton excavation contractor (Independent) Murray Sabrin, Ramapo College professor (Libertarian) Christine Todd Whitman, incumbent governor since 1994 (Republican)

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 Samplesize Margin oferror JimMcGreevey (D) Christine ToddWhitman (R) MurraySabrin (L) Other UndecidedRutgers-EagletonRutgers-EagletonJune 6–8, 1997602 RV±3.5% 38% 44%— 18%Rutgers-EagletonJune 11–16, 1997613 RV±3.5% 33% 49%— 18%Rutgers-EagletonSeptember 2–7, 1997673 RV±3.5% 35% 47%— 18% 32% 47%3% 18%Quinnipiac College September 8–13, 1997 865 ±3.3% 37% 49% — 4% 10%Rutgers-EagletonOctober 12–15, 1997631 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-EagletonOctober 28–31, 1997613 LV±3.0% 36% 45% 9% 18%

Results This was the first gubernatorial election in the state since 1949 where a Republican won without Passaic County.

Results by county Source: County Whitman votes Whitman % McGreevey votes McGreevey % Other votes Other % Atlantic 31,364 47.3% 29,091 43.9% 5,791 8.7% Bergen 148,934 53.3% 118,834 42.5% 11,903 4.3% Burlington 55,523 43.5% 60,690 47.5% 11,485 9.0% Camden 51,643 35.7% 82,028 56.7% 10,933 7.6% Cape May 18,227 49.6% 15,395 41.9% 3,159 8.6% Cumberland 13,651 36.5% 19,977 53.5% 3,729 10.0% Essex 69,470 35.3% 120,429 61.2% 6,778 3.4% Gloucester 30,314 38.4% 41,082 52.1% 7,519 9.5% Hudson 47,468 35.6% 80,526 60.4% 5,394 4.0% Hunterdon 24,465 59.5% 10,983 26.7% 5,698 13.8% Mercer 44,056 40.8% 54,977 50.9% 8,905 8.3% Middlesex 83,149 39.3% 110,354 52.2% 17,911 5.5% Monmouth 105,535 53.9% 74,098 37.8% 16,189 8.3% Morris 97,414 65.4% 41,296 27.7% 10,252 6.9% Ocean 84,897 53.8% 57,944 36.7% 15,076 9.5% Passaic 55,541 45.2% 60,256 49.1% 6,966 5.7% Salem 10,686 49.9% 8,790 41.0% 1,950 9.1% Somerset 51,465 57.4% 29,089 32.4% 9,154 10.2% Sussex 25,458 60.4% 11,331 26.9% 5,332 12.7% Union 68,721 46.6% 69,673 47.2% 9,065 6.1% Warren 15,413 50.8% 11,125 36.7% 3,793 12.5%

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Atlantic Cape May

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Burlington Mercer Passaic

Notes

References