The 1972 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Clifford P. Case defeated Democratic nominee Paul J. Krebs with 62.46% of the vote.

Primary elections were held on June 6. Case turned away a challenge from conservative doctor James Ralph. Krebs won a large plurality in the Democratic primary over Daniel Gaby and Joseph Karcher.

As of , this was the last time the Republicans won a U.S. Senate election in New Jersey, the second longest such drought for Republicans in any state after Hawaii (since 1970).

Case outperformed Richard Nixon's vote share in the concurrent presidential election by 0.89%.

Republican primary Candidates Clifford P. Case, incumbent U.S. senator James W. Ralph, Bergen County physician and candidate for state senate in 1971

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Daniel M. Gaby, Somerset County advertising executive and chair of the Democratic Policy Council Joseph T. Karcher, Sayreville borough attorney and former state assemblyman Henry Kielbasa, Linden railroad worker Paul J. Krebs, former U.S. representative from Livingston

Withdrawn Patrick McGahn, chair of the Atlantic County Democratic Committee

Declined Edward Crabiel, minority leader of the New Jersey Senate

Campaign Krebs ran with the support of organized labor and the Hubert Humphrey presidential campaign, as well as the party establishment in Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties, while Gaby ran as a reform candidate and aligned himself with George McGovern's campaign.

Results Although McGovern won the state's presidential delegate primary easily over Hubert Humphrey, Krebs defeated Gaby by roughly 50,000 votes.

General election Candidates Clifford Case, incumbent senator since 1955 (Republican) A. Howard Freund, Roselle Park resident (American) Paul J. Krebs, former U.S. representative from Livingston (Democratic) Jules Levin, candidate for U.S. Senate in 1966 (Socialist Labor) Charles W. Wiley (Independent)

Campaign From the start of the post-primary campaign, Krebs faced "virtually insurmountable political odds."

Results

By county County Case % Case votes Krebs % Krebs votes Other % Other votes Atlantic 65.6% 46,780 32.6% 23,219 1.8% 1,280 Bergen 64.4% 265,008 32.5% 133,449 3.1% 12,773 Burlington 68.6% 73,019 29.8% 31,674 1.6% 1,672 Camden 62.8% 112,303 35.4% 63,369 1.7% 3,096 Cape May 74.4% 21,564 23.4% 6,790 2.2% 644 Cumberland 66.1% 28,182 33.1% 14,133 0.9% 347 Essex 52.5% 163,583 44.2% 137,821 3.3% 10,359 Gloucester 66.1% 45,000 32.9% 22,403 1.0% 668 Hudson 54.7% 116,766 43.1% 92,076 2.2% 4,749 Hunterdon 68.9% 19,973 27.4% 7,934 3.7% 1,087 Mercer 62.6% 74,504 35.0% 41,697 2.4% 2,906 Middlesex 60.3% 138,524 35.6% 81,827 4.1% 9,390 Monmouth 66.0% 116,251 31.4% 55,233 2.6% 4,615 Morris 67.2% 104,216 28.8% 44,704 3.9% 6,128 Ocean 69.1% 69,621 27.4% 27,643 3.4% 3,483Passaic 61.3% 97,304 35.1% 55,741 3.6% 5,768 Salem 65.3% 15,780 33.8% 8,164 1.0% 217 Somerset 65.1% 52,475 29.0% 23,384 5.9% 4,708 Sussex 70.1% 23,648 26.8% 9,029 3.1% 1,044 Union 62.8% 140,625 33.1% 74,010 4.1% 9,242 Warren 66.2% 18,728 32.8% 9,273 1.1% 304

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Hudson

Notes

References