The 1983 New Jersey Senate election was held on November 8. The election took place mid-way through the first term of Governor Thomas Kean. Democrats gained a net of two seats after flipping the 11th, 13th, and 38th districts. Meanwhile, Republicans flipped the 18th.
Contents Incumbents 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__
Incumbents not running for re-election Democratic Herman T. Costello (District 7) Frank E. Rodgers (District 32) Nicholas LaRocca (District 33) (ran for Assembly)
Summary of results by State Senate district DistrictIncumbentPartyElected SenatorParty1st Legislative DistrictJames R. HurleyRepJames R. HurleyRep2nd Legislative DistrictWilliam GormleyRepWilliam GormleyRep3rd Legislative DistrictRaymond ZaneDemRaymond ZaneDem4th Legislative DistrictDaniel DaltonDemDaniel DaltonDem5th Legislative DistrictWalter RandDemWalter RandDem6th Legislative DistrictLee LaskinRepLee LaskinRep7th Legislative DistrictHerman T. CostelloDemCatherine A. CostaDem8th Legislative District Jim SaxtonRepJim SaxtonRep9th Legislative DistrictLeonard T. ConnorsRepLeonard T. ConnorsRep10th Legislative DistrictJohn F. RussoDemJohn F. RussoDem11th Legislative DistrictBrian T. KennedyRepFrank PalloneDem12th Legislative DistrictS. Thomas GaglianoRepS. Thomas GaglianoRep13th Legislative DistrictJohn P. GallagherRepRichard Van WagnerDem14th Legislative DistrictFrancis J. McManimonDemFrancis J. McManimonDem15th Legislative DistrictGerald R. StockmanDemGerald R. StockmanDem16th Legislative DistrictJohn H. EwingRepJohn H. EwingRep17th Legislative DistrictJohn A. Lynch Jr.DemJohn A. Lynch Jr.Dem18th Legislative DistrictJames BornheimerDemPeter P. GaribaldiRep19th Legislative DistrictLaurence WeissDemLaurence WeissDem20th Legislative DistrictRaymond LesniakDemRaymond LesniakDem21st Legislative DistrictC. Louis BassanoRepC. Louis BassanoRep22nd Legislative DistrictDonald DiFrancescoRepDonald DiFrancescoRep23rd Legislative DistrictWalter E. ForanRepWalter E. ForanRep24th Legislative DistrictWayne DumontRepWayne DumontRep25th Legislative DistrictJohn H. DorseyRepJohn H. DorseyRep26th Legislative DistrictJames P. VreelandRepLeanna BrownRep27th Legislative DistrictRichard CodeyDemRichard CodeyDem28th Legislative DistrictJohn P. CaufieldDemJohn P. CaufieldDem29th Legislative DistrictWynona LipmanDemWynona LipmanDem30th Legislative DistrictCarmen OrechioDemCarmen OrechioDem31st Legislative DistrictEdward T. O'Connor Jr.DemEdward T. O'Connor Jr.Dem32nd Legislative DistrictFrank E. RodgersDemThomas F. CowanDem33rd Legislative DistrictNicholas LaRoccaDemChristopher JackmanDem34th Legislative DistrictJoseph BubbaRepJoseph BubbaRep35th Legislative DistrictFrank X. Graves Jr.DemFrank X. Graves Jr.Dem36th Legislative DistrictJoseph HirkalaDemJoseph HirkalaDem37th Legislative DistrictMatthew FeldmanDemMatthew FeldmanDem38th Legislative DistrictJohn PaolellaRepPaul ContilloDem39th Legislative DistrictGerald CardinaleRepGerald CardinaleRep40th Legislative DistrictGarrett HagedornRepGarrett HagedornRep
Close races Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
gain gain
gain
gain
District 1
General election
Candidates
James R. Hurley, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican) Christopher H. Riley (Democratic)
Results
District 2
Democratic primary
Candidates
Arlene Groch, lawyer
Declined
Steven P. Perskie, former Senator (accepted Superior Court judgeship)
General election
Candidates
William Gormley, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican) Arlene Groch, lawyer (Democratic) James T. Hagen (Senate Independent)
Results
District 3
General election
Candidates
Mary Ruth Talley (Republican) Raymond Zane, incumbent Senator since 1974 (Democratic)
Results
District 4
General election
Candidates
Daniel Dalton, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic) Christopher Michaele (Republican)
Results
District 5
General election
Candidates
Gregory B. Montgomery (Democratic) Walter Rand, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic)
Results
District 6
General election
Candidates
Lee B. Laskin, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Republican) Francis J. Ward (Democratic)
Results
District 7
Democratic primary
Candidates
Catherine A. Costa, Assemblywoman from Willingboro and Burlington County Freeholder Barbara Kalik, Assemblywoman from Willingboro
Campaign The race between Costa and Kalik, both Assemblywomen from Willingboro, was expected to be among the most competitive in the state. Though Kalik, who had served since 1977, was better known in Trenton, Costa also served as a Freeholder and was the top vote-getter on the 1981 ticket.
General election
Candidates
Catherine A. Costa, Assemblywoman from Willingboro and Burlington County Freeholder (Democratic) Henry W. Metzger (Republican)
Results
District 8
General election
Candidates
Charles H. Ryan (Democratic) Jim Saxton, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican)
Results
District 9
General election
Candidates
Leonard T. Connors, incumbent Senator since 1982 and mayor of Surf City (Republican) Anthony M. Sellitto Jr. (Democratic)
Results
District 10
General election
Candidates
Bob Fall (Republican) John F. Russo, incumbent Senator since 1974 (Democratic)
Results
District 11
General election
Candidates
Brian T. Kennedy, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Republican) Frank Pallone, member of the Long Branch City Council (Democratic) Edgar Van Houten (Bull Moose)
Results
District 12
General election
Candidates
S. Thomas Gagliano, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Republican) Alexander D. Lehrer, Monmouth County Prosecutor (Democratic)
Withdrew
Robert Morgan, doctor (Democratic)
Campaign Robert Morgan, the original Democratic nominee, withdrew from the race, citing the pressure of his medical practice.
County Prosecutor Alexander Lehrer, the most prominent public official in the county, was initially reluctant to run, worrying that a political campaign had little chance of success and could imperil his ambitions for the state judiciary. Party chair John Fiorino and U.S. Representative James J. Howard recruited him into the race through a draft movement; their support would also be critical to any judicial appointment.
Gagliano denied reports that he had implied Lehrer's campaign would threaten his confirmation to the judiciary in the Senate.
Results
District 13
General election
Candidates
John P. Gallagher, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican) Richard Van Wagner, Assemblyman from Middletown Township (Democratic)
Results
District 14
General election
Candidates
Charles B. W. Durand, former mayor of Franklin Township (Republican) Francis J. McManimon, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic)
Results
District 15
General election
Candidates
Robert A. Gladstone (Republican) Gerald R. Stockman, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic)
Results
District 16
General election
Candidates
John H. Ewing, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Republican) Alfred A. Wicklund (Democratic)
Results
District 17
General election
Candidates
John A. Lynch Jr., incumbent Senator since 1982 and mayor of New Brunswick (Democratic) Frank A. Santoro (Republican)
Results
District 18
General election
Candidates
James Bornheimer, incumbent Senator since 1982 Peter P. Garibaldi, former Assemblyman and mayor of Monroe Township (Republican) Robert S. Maurer, Edison resident (Independent)
Campaign Garibaldi stressed the issue of auto insurance premiums, which he said remained unsatisfactorily high despite recent legislation to slow rate increases. He also cited his opposition to property revaluation programs in several towns, including Monroe and East Brunswick, which shifted local property tax burdens from commercial to residential property owners. Garibaldi said he had gone to court to stop the Monroe revaluation over disagreements with the group hired to conduct the survey.
Results
District 19
General election
Candidates
James W. Inman (Republican) Laurence S. Weiss, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Democratic)
Results
District 20
Democratic primary
Candidates
John Brady, Elizabeth resident Rocco Gallo, Elizabeth resident Joseph M. Hartnett, Rahway resident Raymond Lesniak, Assemblyman from Elizabeth
Results Alongside the primary election, Lesniak won a special election to complete the unexpired term of John T. Gregorio, who had been convicted of conspiring to conceal his ownership of two Linden taverns.
General election
Candidates
Raymond Lesniak, incumbent Senator since June 1983 (Democratic) Rose Zeidwerg Monyek, Rahway resident (Inflation Fighting Housewife) Alfred D. Palermo, Linden Republican chairman and real estate businessman (Republican) Joseph P. Scanlon (Beam the Bomb) Harold J. Young, Rahway resident (Independent)
Results
District 21
General election
Candidates
C. Louis Bassano, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican) Anthony E. Russo, former Senator (Democratic)
Results
District 22
General election
Candidates
Donald DiFrancesco, incumbent Senator since 1979 (Republican) Thomas M. McCormack (Democratic)
Results
District 23
General election
Candidates
Walter E. Foran, incumbent Senator since 1977 (Republican) William Martin Jr. (Democratic)
Results
District 24
General election
Candidates
Wayne Dumont, incumbent Senator since 1968 (Republican) Clarence W. Sickles (Democratic)
Results
District 25
General election
Candidates
John H. Dorsey, incumbent Senator since 1978 (Republican) Allen Hantman (Democratic)
Results
District 26
Republican primary
Campaign
Leanna Brown, Assemblywoman from Chatham Township James P. Vreeland, incumbent Senator since 1974
Campaign Brown announced her campaign in March, claiming that she was running on economic issues rather than in opposition to Vreeland, who had been her running mate since 1980. The seat had been expected to go to Assemblyman Dean Gallo of Parsippany on Vreeland's retirement. Brown called for "new ideas", a veiled jab at the 73-year old Vreeland. Her campaign out-raised and out-advertised Vreeland.
General election
Candidates
Leanna Brown, Assemblywoman from Chatham Township (Republican) Anthony Calvino (Democratic)
Results
District 27
Democratic primary
Candidates
Alan Bowser, East Orange resident Richard Codey, incumbent Senator since 1982 Russell Fox, East Orange resident Joel Shain, mayor of Orange Thelma I. Tyree, East Orange resident
Campaign In the primary, each candidate accused the other of conflicts of interest. Shain charged that Codey sponsored multiple bills relating to the insurance industry while earning money as a consultant from insurance companies. Codey charged that Shain earned large dividends from stock in a cable television company which was awarded a franchise to operate in Orange. Shain had abstained from voting on the contract and sold his shares before the primary election.
Shain spent close to $250,000 on radio commercials and telephone banking, while Codey spent over $115,000, setting a record for campaign spending.
General election
Candidates
James J. Brown (Democratic) Richard Codey, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic)
Results
District 28
Democratic primary
Candidates
Anthony Carrino, Newark City Councilman John P. Caufield, incumbent Senator since 1979 and Newark Fire Director
Campaign