New Jersey state executive official elections, 2017
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Two state executive offices were up for election in 2017:
Context of the 2017 elections
Primary elections
During a primary election, voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. New Jersey utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[1][2][3]
New Jersey residents must register to vote at least 21 days prior to an election. Unaffiliated voters can declare a political party affiliation at the polls in order to take part in a party's primary. Voters who wish to change their political party affiliation must do so at least 55 days prior to the primary election.[4]
New Jersey's primary election was held on June 6, 2017.
Party control in New Jersey
New Jersey had a divided government since Republican Chris Christie assumed office in 2010, ending a 5-year Democratic trifecta. Prior to the 2017 election, Democrats controlled both the New Jersey House of Representatives and State Senate, but not the governorship. The state has not been represented in the U.S. Senate by a Republican since 1982, and the state's electoral votes have gone to the Democratic presidential candidate since 1992.[5]
The office of governor in New Jersey has tended to alternate party control over the past century, with no single party controlling the seat for more than eight years since 1970. Recent elections for the office have not been particularly close; the narrowest margin of victory in the last five electoral cycles was in 2009, when Christie unseated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine.
Phil Murphy's victory in the election led to the creation of a Democratic trifecta in New Jersey and replaced the state's Republican triplex with a Democratic triplex.
2017 elections
Governor and lieutenant governor
New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. The winners of this race were Phil Murphy (D) and Sheila Oliver (D). Click here to view vote totals for this election. Gov. Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. Phil Murphy (D), Kim Guadagno (R), Peter Rohrman (L), Seth Kaper-Dale (G), Matt Riccardi (C), Gina Genovese (I), and Vincent Ross (I) ran for the open seat. The most recent overall race rating from five separate outlets was Likely Democrat.[6] New Jersey law requires that voters register 21 days in advance of an election, meaning that the final day to register in this election was October 18, 2017.
On this page, you will find an overview of the seven candidates that ran for governor and their stances on the major issues facing the state, as well as the endorsements they earned. This is followed by up-to-date information on polling, campaign finance, and race ratings. At the bottom of the page, information on past elections, New Jersey's political climate, and the office's powers and responsibilities are provided to contextualize the election.
New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Governor Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. New Jersey elects its governor and lieutenant governor together on a joint ticket.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. The primary election was held on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was April 3, 2017.
The following candidates ran in the election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.[7]
| New Jersey Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Phil Murphy/Sheila Oliver |
56.03% | 1,203,110 | |
| Republican | Kim Guadagno/Carlos Rendo | 41.89% | 899,583 | |
| Independent | Gina Genovese/Derel Stroud | 0.57% | 12,294 | |
| Libertarian | Peter Rohrman/Karese Laguerre | 0.49% | 10,531 | |
| Green | Seth Kaper-Dale/Lisa Durden | 0.47% | 10,053 | |
| Constitution | Matt Riccardi | 0.32% | 6,864 | |
| Independent | Vincent Ross/April Johnson | 0.23% | 4,980 | |
| Total Votes (6385/6385 precincts reporting) | 2,147,415 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||||
Kim Guadagno defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Hirsh Singh, Joseph Rudy Rullo, and Steve Rogers in the Republican primary.[8]
| New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kim Guadagno |
46.82% | 113,846 |
| Jack Ciattarelli | 31.08% | 75,556 |
| Hirsh Singh | 9.76% | 23,728 |
| Joseph Rudy Rullo | 6.51% | 15,816 |
| Steve Rogers | 5.84% | 14,187 |
| Total Votes | 243,133 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Phil Murphy defeated Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski, Ray Lesniak, Bill Brennan, and Mark Zinna in the Democratic primary.[8]
| New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Phil Murphy |
48.42% | 243,643 |
| Jim Johnson | 21.91% | 110,250 |
| John Wisniewski | 21.57% | 108,532 |
| Ray Lesniak | 4.83% | 24,318 |
| Bill Brennan | 2.24% | 11,263 |
| Mark Zinna | 1.04% | 5,213 |
| Total Votes | 503,219 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Voter registration
| Candidate ballot access |
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For full information about voting in New Jersey, contact the state election agency.
Registration
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Jersey utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is generally limited to registered party members. Unaffiliated voters can register as party members at the polls on primary election day. Otherwise, a voter must indicate his or her party preference (e.g., via an updated voter registration) no later than the 55th day preceding the primary in order to vote in that party's primary.[9][10]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
To register to vote in New Jersey, an individual must be a citizen of the United States and at least 17 years old—however, individuals are not allowed to vote until they reach the age of 18. The voter must have resided in his or her county for the 30-day period preceding the next general, municipal or special election. The voter must not be currently serving a prison sentence, probation, or parole for a felony conviction at the time of registration.[11]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
New Jersey has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Past elections
2016
There were no state executive offices up for election in New Jersey in 2016.
2015
There were no state executive elections in New Jersey in 2015.
2014
There were no elections in New Jersey in 2014.
2013
Two state executive offices were up for election including governor and lieutenant governor.
2012
There were no elections in New Jersey in 2012.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Jersey state executive election 2017. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
| Demographic data for New Jersey | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,935,421 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 7,354 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 68.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 13.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 19% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.6% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $72,093 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in New Jersey
New Jersey voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in New Jersey, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.[12]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Jersey had one Retained Pivot County and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 0.55 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More New Jersey coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in New Jersey
- United States congressional delegations from New Jersey
- Public policy in New Jersey
- Endorsers in New Jersey
- New Jersey fact checks
- More...
| New Jersey | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Political Party Declaration Forms," accessed March 1, 2016
- ↑ [archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/votes/votes_by_state.html National Records and Archives Administration, "Historical election results," accessed September 2, 2016]
- ↑ Ratings are based on projections found in Governing, Larry Sabato, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, Decision Desk HQ, and The Cook Political Report. These ratings are updated periodically throughout the election season.
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List - Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official Primary Results 2017 - Governor," June 28, 2017
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Statutes & Rules § 19:23-45," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ State of New Jersey Department of State, "Register to Vote!" accessed September 2, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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