The 1965 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1965. Democratic incumbent Richard J. Hughes defeated Republican nominee Wayne Dumont with 57 percent of the vote. Until 2025, the gubernatorial elections from 1953 to 1965 were the last in New Jersey in which any party won more than two consecutive elections. This is the most recent time a Democrat was reelected Governor with a higher share of the vote than the previous election.
Primary elections were held on June 1, 1965. Hughes was easily re-nominated over token opposition from William H. Clark, while Dumont won a narrow primary over fellow state senator Charles W. Sandman Jr. of Cape May County.
Bergen County voted Democratic for the first time since 1931, and since this election, the county has become a bellwether having voted for the winning candidate all but once since. Democrats simultaneously flipped both houses of the New Jersey legislature, a first since 1915.
Democratic primary Candidates William H. Clark, Newark Marxist activist and member of the Negro-Labor Vanguard Richard J. Hughes, incumbent governor since 1962
Results
Republican primary Candidates Wayne Dumont, state senator from Warren County Charles W. Sandman, Jr., state senator from Cape May County Harold P. Poeschel, Short Hills life insurance agent and perennial Conservative Party candidate
Declined Nelson Stamler, state senator from Union County (endorsed Sandman)
Campaign Senator Nelson Stamler informally sought party support for a potential campaign, citing his opposition to court-mandated legislative redistricting and Dumont's proposal for a sales tax. After failing to gain sufficient endorsements, Stamler declined to run and instead endorsed Sandman.
Results
General election Candidates Wayne Dumont, state senator from Warren County (Republican) Richard J. Hughes, incumbent governor since 1962 (Democratic) Julius Levin, apartment manager (Socialist Labor) Robert Lee Schlachter (Conservative) Ruth F. Shiminsky (Socialist Workers) Christopher C. Vespucci (Veterans Choice)
Results
Results by county County Hughes votes Hughes % Dumont votes Dumont % Other votes Other % Atlantic 35,245 52.1% 30,455 45.0% 1,999 3.0% Bergen 179,197 55.9% 138,097 43.1% 2,997 0.9% Burlington 35,468 53.0% 30,666 45.8% 843 1.3% Camden 73,926 56.5% 53,241 40.7% 3,728 2.9% Cape May 11,127 50.8% 10,449 47.7% 335 1.6% Cumberland 19,501 55.0% 15,800 44.6% 159 0.4% Essex 178,830 60.9% 109,081 37.1% 5,830 2.0% Gloucester 26,411 51.6% 24,487 47.8% 328 0.7% Hudson 156,671 72.3% 55,632 25.7% 4,513 2.1% Hunterdon 8,996 43.0% 11,726 56.1% 189 0.9% Mercer 62,835 65.0% 33,206 34.3% 634 0.7% Middlesex 114,548 64.7% 61,063 34.5% 1,479 0.8% Monmouth 64,525 51.7% 58,959 47.2% 1,365 1.1% Morris 46,174 45.2% 54,306 53.1% 1,709 1.7% Ocean 23,982 44.5% 28,879 53.6% 1,041 1.9% Passaic 78,193 57.2% 55,998 40.9% 2,581 1.9% Salem 11,629 53.5% 10,054 46.2% 62 0.3% Somerset 29,659 50.7% 27,207 46.5% 1,588 2.8% Sussex 9,162 41.1% 13,002 58.3% 135 0.5% Union 103,067 56.0% 78,820 42.8% 2,277 1.3% Warren 10,422 40.8% 14,868 58.3% 227 0.8%
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Atlantic Bergen Cape May Monmouth Union Somerset
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Warren
References