The 1973 New Jersey Senate elections were held on November 6. The result of the elections were large gains for the Democratic Party, which won control of the Senate. The party picked up twelve seats. This election marked the first time since 1967 that Democrats controlled the State Senate. Republicans would not regain control of the State Senate until 1991.
The election coincided with Brendan Byrne's landslide re-election over Republican Charles W. Sandman Jr. The election also took place amidst the height of the Watergate scandal, just weeks after the Saturday Night Massacre.
This was also the first New Jersey Senate election held using single-member districts, as the state completed its long transition following the 1964 Reynolds v. Sims decision. , it remains the largest single change in seats for Democrats or any party since single-member districts were adopted. This remains the greatest number of seats held by the Democrats or any party since the adoption of single-member districts.
Democrats chose Frank J. Dodd as the Senate President and Matthew Feldman as Majority Leader; Republicans named the outgoing Senate President, Alfred Beadleston as Minority Leader.
ContentsIncumbents not running • Summary of resultsBy 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__NOTOC__
Background
Redistricting
Until 1965, the New Jersey State Senate was composed of 21 senators, with each county electing one senator. After the U.S. Supreme Court, in Reynolds v. Sims (more commonly known as One Man, One Vote), required redistricting by state legislatures for congressional districts to keep represented populations equal, as well as requiring both houses of state legislatures to have districts drawn that contained roughly equal populations, and to perform redistricting when needed. In 1965, the Senate was increased from 21 members to 29 members, and larger counties were given more than one seat, and some smaller counties shared one or two senators. The map was changed again in 1967, and again in 1971, as the state adjusted to the one-man, one-vote ruling.
For the first time, the state was to be divided into 40 legislative districts, with each district electing one State Senator and two members of the General Assembly. The districts were drawn first to achieve a population balance (districts were drawn to be within +/- 4% of each other), and then to be as geographically compact as possible.
For the most part, incumbent senators were given their own districts in which to run, with one exception. Senators William J. Bate and Joseph Hirkala, both of Passaic County (District 14), were re-districted into the same district, numbered 34. Bate successfully ran for Assembly rather than challenge Hirkala.
Incumbents not running for re-election Democratic J. Edward Crabiel, Middlesex (District 18) (ran for Governor) Norman Tanzman, Middlesex (District 19) Ralph DeRose, Essex (District 28) (ran for Governor) William J. Bate, Passaic (District 30) (redistricted; ran for Assembly) William F. Kelly Jr., Hudson (District 32)
Republican Frank Italiano, Camden (District 5) John F. Brown, Ocean (District 9) Peter W. Thomas, Morris (District 24) Harold C. Hollenbeck, Bergen (District 36) Alfred D. Schiaffo, Bergen (District 39)
Two incumbent Republican senators were elected to Congress in 1972 and resigned in January 1973 to take their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both seats were won by Democrats: District 21: Matthew John Rinaldo was succeeded by Democrat Thomas Dunn, the Mayor of Elizabeth. District 23: Joseph Maraziti was succeeded by Democrat Stephen Wiley, a Morristown attorney.
Incumbents defeated In primary elections Republicans One incumbent Republican Senator was defeated for renomination in the June primary and Republicans held that seat: District 22: Jerome Epstein (R-Union), succeeded by Republican Peter J. McDonough, an Assemblyman from Union County. McDonough won 60%-40% over the incumbent, who was facing an indictment.
In general elections Democrats District 35: Joseph Lazzara (D-Passaic) lost to Republican Frank Davenport, the Passaic County Sheriff. Republicans District 6: John L. Miller (R-Camden) lost to Democrat Alene Ammond. District 10: Richard Stout (R-Monmouth) lost to Democrat Herbert Buehler. District 12: Joseph Azzolina (R-Monmouth) lost to Democrat Eugene Bedell, an Assemblyman from Monmouth County. District 14: William Schluter (R-Mercer) lost to Democrat Anne Clark Martindell. the Vice Chairwoman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. District 20: Frank X. McDermott (R-Union) lost to Democrat Alexander J. Menza, an Assemblyman from Union County. District 27: Michael Giuliano (R-Essex) lost to Democrat Carmen Orechio, the Mayor of Nutley. District 37: Joseph Woodcock (R-Bergen) lost to Democrat Matthew Feldman. a former State Senator and the Bergen County Democratic Chairman. District 38: Frederick Wendel (R-Bergen) lost to Democrat John Skevin, a former Assemblyman from Bergen County.
Open seats Democratic gains District 5: Frank Italiano (R-Camden), succeeded by Democrat John Horn, the Assembly Minority Leader, from Camden County. District 9: John F. Brown (R-Ocean), succeeded by Democrat John F. Russo, a former Ocean County Prosecutor. District 36: Harold Hollenbeck (R-Bergen), succeeded by Democrat Anthony Scardino, the Mayor of Lyndhurst. District 39: Alfred Schiaffo (R-Bergen), succeeded by Raymond Garramone, the Mayor of Haworth.
Independent gain District 30: William Bate (D-Passaic), succeeded by Independent Anthony Imperiale, an Assemblyman from Essex County. (Bate was redistricted into District 34, where Democrat Joseph Hirkala lived; instead of challenging Hirkala in the primary, he instead ran successfully for the State Assembly.)
Democratic holds District 18: J. Edward Crabiel (D-Middlesex), who briefly sought the 1973 Democratic nomination for Governor, succeeded by Democrat Bernard Dwyer, the Mayor of Edison. District 19: Norman Tanzman (D-Middlesex), succeeded by Democrat John Fay, an Assemblyman from Middlesex County. District 28: Ralph DeRose (D-Essex), who lost to Brendan Byrne in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, was succeeded by Democrat Martin L. Greenberg, who was Byrne's law partner. District 32: William F. Kelly, Jr. (D-Hudson), succeeded by Democrat Joseph W. Tumulty.
Republican hold District 24: Peter W. Thomas (R-Morris), succeeded by Republican James P. Vreeland, an Assemblyman from Morris County.
Summary of results by State Senate District 1972–74 DistrictIncumbent PartyNew DistrictElected Senator PartyDistrict 1 James Cafiero Rep 1st Legislative District James Cafiero RepDistrict 2 Joseph McGahn Dem 2nd Legislative District Joseph McGahn DemDistrict 3AVacant 3rd Legislative District Raymond Zane DemDistrict 3B Joseph Maressa Dem 4th Legislative District Joseph Maressa DemDistrict 3DFrank Italiano Rep 5th Legislative District John Horn DemDistrict 3C John L. Miller Rep 6th Legislative District Alene Ammond DemDistrict 4C Edward J. Hughes Dem 7th Legislative District Edward J. Hughes DemDistrict 4B Barry T. Parker Rep 8th Legislative District Barry T. Parker RepDistrict 4AJohn F. Brown Rep 9th Legislative District John F. Russo DemDistrict 5 Richard Stout Rep 10th Legislative District Herbert Buehler Dem Alfred Beadleston Rep 11th Legislative District Alfred Beadleston Rep Joseph Azzolina Rep 12th Legislative District Eugene Bedell DemDistrict 6B Joseph P. Merlino Dem 13th Legislative District Joseph P. Merlino DemDistrict 6A William Schluter Rep 14th Legislative District Anne Clark Martindell DemDistrict 15 Wayne Dumont Jr. Rep 15th Legislative District Wayne Dumont Jr. RepDistrict 8 Raymond Bateman Rep 16th Legislative District Raymond Bateman RepDistrict 7 John A. Lynch Sr. Dem 17th Legislative District John A. Lynch Sr. DemJ. Edward Crabiel Dem 18th Legislative District Bernard Dwyer DemNorman Tanzman Dem 19th Legislative District John Fay DemDistrict 9 Frank X. McDermott Rep 20th Legislative District Alexander J. Menza Dem Thomas G. Dunn Dem 21st Legislative District Thomas G. Dunn Dem Jerome Epstein Rep 22nd Legislative District Peter J. McDonough RepDistrict 10Vacant 23rd Legislative District Stephen B. Wiley DemPeter W. Thomas Rep 24th Legislative District James P. Vreeland RepDistrict 11 James H. Wallwork Rep 25th Legislative District James H. Wallwork Rep Frank J. Dodd Dem 26th Legislative District Frank J. Dodd Dem Michael Giuliano Rep 27th Legislative District Carmen Orechio DemRalph DeRose Dem 28th Legislative District Martin L. Greenberg Dem Wynona Lipman Dem 29th Legislative District Wynona Lipman DemN/A 30th Legislative District Anthony Imperiale IndDistrict 12 James P. Dugan Dem 31st Legislative District James P. Dugan DemWilliam F. Kelly Jr. Dem 32nd Legislative District Joseph W. Tumulty Dem William Musto Dem 33rd Legislative District William Musto DemDistrict 14 Joseph Hirkala Dem 34th Legislative District Joseph Hirkala DemWilliam J. BateDem Joseph Lazzara Dem 35th Legislative District Frank Davenport RepDistrict 13Harold Hollenbeck Rep 36th Legislative District Anthony Scardino Dem Joseph Woodcock Rep 37th Legislative District Matthew Feldman Dem Frederick Wendel Rep 38th Legislative District John Skevin DemAlfred Schiaffo Rep 39th Legislative District Raymond Garramone Dem Garrett Hagedorn Rep 40th Legislative District Garrett Hagedorn Rep
Close races Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%: gain gain
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District 1 Republican primary Results
Democratic primary Results
General election Candidates William E. Bowen, director of the Bridgeton Housing Authority and former City Councilman James S. Cafiero, incumbent Senator
Results
District 2 This district consisted of most of Atlantic County, as well as Little Egg Harbor Township, Tuckerton, and rural parts of Burlington County within the Pine Barrens.
Republican primary Candidates Irving A. Lilienfeld, Atlantic County Freeholder F. Frederick Perone, former Atlantic City municipal judge
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Michael J. Matthews, Atlantic County Freeholder Joseph McGahn, incumbent Senator
Results
General election Candidates Irving A. Lilienfeld, Atlantic County Freeholder (Republican) Joseph McGahn, incumbent Senator (Democratic)
Campaign Both candidates supported a statewide referendum on legalized gambling. Lilienfeld and his running mates supported a statewide coordinated mass transit program, while the Democratic ticket supported a county-wide transportation program. The Republicans also emphasized crackdowns on welfare fraud and stricter drug control, while the Democrats campaigned to attract more light industry to the region.
Results
District 3 Republican primary Candidates Robert E. Boakes, Woodbury attorney and former municipal judge Walter Fish, Gloucester County Sheriff (write-in) James M. Turner, incumbent Senator (until June 28) Declined Kenneth A. Black Jr., Assemblyman from Salem County David Stroud, Woodbury attorney
Campaign Turner was removed from his seat on June 28 after his conviction for conspiracy to place 6,500 amphetamine tablets in the home of Kenneth A. Gewertz, the Democratic Assemblyman from the district. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
The conviction barred Turner from holding state office. Nevertheless, Turner remained in the race, saying "I intend to win, and I expect the Senate to seat me."
Because it was too late to remove Turner from the ballot, an appeal was made to remove him, which a judge denied. The Republican Party attempted to run a write-in campaign for Gloucester Sheriff Walter Fish instead.
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Raymond Zane, Gloucester County Freeholder Results
General election Results
District 4