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2001 New Jersey Senate elections

← 1997 November 5, 2001 2003 →
All 40 seats in the New Jersey State Senate 21 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Donald DiFrancesco (retired) Richard Codey Party Republican Democratic Leader's seat 22nd 27th Last election 24 16 Seats before 24 15 Seats won 20 20 Seat change 4 5
Results by district      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold
Senate President before election Donald DiFrancesco Republican Elected Senate President John O. Bennett and Richard Codey

The 2001 New Jersey Senate election was held on November 6.

The election took place alongside Jim McGreevey's landslide election as Governor of New Jersey and were held in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, which killed 750 New Jerseyans and impacted many others. Under a newly redrawn map, Democrats gained five seats to split control of the Senate evenly. A power-sharing agreement was reached with John O. Bennett and Richard Codey as co-presidents of the Senate.

This is the last time Democrats did not win an outright majority of New Jersey State Senate seats, as well as the last time any Senate seats in North Jersey changed parties.

Background

Redistricting

As required, the New Jersey legislature redistricted its state legislative districts in advance of the 2001 election. Most Senators remained in their existing districts, though Senator Kevin J. O'Toole was redistricted to the 40th district and chose not to challenge.

The new map was based on a revised Democratic map chosen by Professor Larry Bartels of Princeton University, the non-partisan member of the reapportionment commission.

Republicans challenged the district map under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, arguing that by shifting some African-American and Hispanic voters out of three predominantly minority districts in and around Newark and spreading them to other, mostly white districts, the plan diluted minority voting strength. The case was rejected by the U.S. Court for the District of New Jersey. The Republican suit was dismissed partly under the influence of the near-unanimous support of New Jersey's incumbent minority legislators for the Democratic claim that their map would result in more minority representation, rather than less.

Incumbents not running for re-election

Democratic

• John A. Lynch Jr. (District 17)

Republican

• Jack Sinagra (District 18) (resigned October 23)
• Kevin O'Toole (District 21) (redistricted into District 40; ran for Assembly)
• Donald DiFrancesco (District 22) (ran for Governor)
• William E. Schluter (District 23) (redistricted into District 15; ran for Governor as an Independent)

Summary of results by State Senate district

Close races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. Legislative District 1, 0.8%
2. Legislative District 3, 3.0% gain
3. Legislative District 7, 8.2%
4. Legislative District 14, 4.2%
5. Legislative District 36, 3.0%
6. Legislative District 38, 6.2%

1. Senator Zane switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in February 2001.
2. Senator Jack Sinagra resigned on October 23, 2001, to become chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
3. O'Toole was appointed to the Senate after Senator C. Louis Bassano resigned to join the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
4. Redistricted to 40th district.
5. James was appointed in June 1999 to complete the unexpired term of Senator Wynona Lipman. He won a special election for the seat in 1999.

District 1

General election

Candidates

• James Cafiero, incumbent Senator since 1990 (Republican)
• William J. Hughes Jr., federal antitrust prosecutor and son of former U.S. Representative William J. Hughes (Democratic)

Results

District 2

General election

Candidates

• David Alcantara (Green)
• Bill Gormley, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican)

Results

District 3

General election

Candidates

• Stephen Sweeney, ironworker and Gloucester County Freeholder (Democratic)
• Raymond Zane, incumbent Senator since 1974 (Republican)

Results

District 4

General election

Candidates

• Joseph L. Manganello (Democratic)
• John Matheussen, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Republican)

Results

District 5

General election

Candidates

• Wayne R. Bryant, incumbent Senator since 1995 (Democratic)
• Maryann T. Callahan (Republican)

Results

District 6

General election

Candidates

• John Adler, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Democratic)
• Jane A. Greenfogel (Republican)

Results

District 7

General election

Candidates

• Diane Allen, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Republican)
• Lou Gallagher, U.S. Navy SEAL (Democratic)

Results

District 8

General election

Candidates

• Martha W. Bark, incumbent Senator since 1997 (Republican)
• Gary E. Haman (Democratic)

Results

District 9

General election

Candidates

• Leonard T. Connors, incumbent Senator since 1982 and mayor of Surf City (Republican)
• Mark Schreckstein (Common Sense Independent)
• Peter A. Terranova (Democratic)

Results

District 10

General election

Candidates

• Andrew R. Ciesla, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Republican)
• Timothy E. Ryan (Democratic)

Results

District 11

General election

Candidates

• Maureen O'Rourke (Democratic)
• Joseph A. Palaia, incumbent Senator since 1989 and president pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate (Republican)

Results

District 12

General election

Candidates

• John O. Bennett, incumbent Senator since 1989 and Senate Majority Leader (Republican)
• Amy I. Aughenbaugh (Democratic)

Results

District 13

General election

Candidates

• Kiran Desai, Old Bridge accountant (Democratic)
• Joe Kyrillos, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Republican)

Results

District 14

General election

Candidates

• Peter Inverso, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Republican)
• Samuel Plumeri Jr., Mercer County Freeholder (Democratic)

Results

District 15

General election

Candidates

• Thomas D. Abrams (Libertarian)
• Norbert E. Donelly (Republican)
• Shirley Turner, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Democratic)

Results

District 16

General election

Candidates

• Walter J. Kavanaugh, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Republican)
• Daniel Wartenberg (Democratic)

Results

District 17

General election

Candidates

• Skip House (Republican)
• Bob Smith, member of the General Assembly and former mayor of Piscataway (Democratic)

Results

District 18

General election

Candidates

• Barbara Buono, member of the General Assembly (Democratic)
• John G. Cito (Republican)

Results

District 19

General election

Candidates

• Naresh Gidwani (Republican)
• Joe Vitale, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Democratic)

Results

District 20

General election

Candidates

• Raymond Lesniak, incumbent Senator since 1983 (Democratic)
• Daniel M. Nozza (Schundler for Governor)

Results

District 21

General election

Candidates

• Richard Bagger, member of the General Assembly since 1992 (Republican)
• Ellen Steinberg (Democratic)

Results

District 22

General election

Candidates

• Milt Campbell, former Olympic decathlete and professional football player (Republican)
• Joseph Suliga, member of the General Assembly since 1994 (Democratic)

Results

District 23

General election

Candidates

• Frederick P. Cook (Democratic)
• Leonard Lance, member of the General Assembly since 1991 and son of former Senator Wesley Lance (Republican)

Results

District 24

General election

Candidates

• Robert Littell, incumbent Senator since 1990 (Republican)
• Edwin Selby (Democratic)

Results

District 25

General election

Candidates

• Anthony Bucco, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Republican)
• Horace Chamberlain (Democratic)

Results

District 26

General election

Candidates

• Robert Martin, incumbent Senator since 1993 (Republican)
• Paul E. Pinney (Democratic)

Results

District 27

General election

Candidates

• Richard Codey, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Democratic)
• Donald Page (African-Americans for Justice)
• Jared Silverman (Republican)

Results

District 28

General election

Candidates

• Brian E. Coleman (Independent)
• Marion Crecco, member of the General Assembly since 1986 (Republican)
• Ronald Rice, incumbent Senator since 1986 (Democratic)

Results

District 29

General election

Candidates

• Sharpe James, incumbent Senator since 1999 and mayor of Newark (Democratic)

Results

District 30

General election

Candidates

• Timothy J. Konopka (Democratic)
• Robert Singer, incumbent Senator since 1993 (Republican)

Results

District 31

General election

Candidates

• Joseph Charles, member of the General Assembly since 1982 (Democratic)
• Martin J. McFadden (Republican)

Results

District 32

General election

Candidates

• Martin J. McFadden (Republican)
• Nicholas Sacco, incumbent Senator since 1994 and mayor of North Bergen (Democratic)
• Herbert H. Shaw, perennial candidate (Politicians are Crooks)
• Louis Vernotico (Eliminate Primary Elections)

Results

District 33

General election

Candidates

• Bernard Kenny, incumbent Senator since 1993 (Democratic)
• Nancy Gaynor (Republican)

Results

District 34

General election

Candidates

• Nia Gill, member of the General Assembly since 1994 (Democratic)
• Norman M. Robertson, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Republican)
• Marie Yvrose Celestin (Social Economic Empowerment)

Results

District 35

General election

Candidates

• John Girgenti, incumbent Senator since 1990 (Democratic)

Results

District 36

General election

Candidates

• Joseph Farallo (Green Coalition)
• Garry Furnari, incumbent Senator since 1998 (Democratic)
• John V. Kelly, member of the General Assembly since 1986 (Republican)

Results

District 37

General election

Candidates

• Byron Baer, incumbent Senator since 1994 (Democratic)
• Jonathan L. Bender (Republican)

Results

District 38

General election

Candidates

• Joseph Coniglio, former Paramus borough council president (Democratic)
• Louis F. Kosco, incumbent Senator since 1992 (Republican)

Results

District 39

General election

Candidates

• Alan Baskin (Democratic)
• Gerald Cardinale, incumbent Senator since 1982 (Republican)
• George E. Soroka (Conservative)

Results

District 40

General election

Candidates

• Henry McNamara, incumbent Senator since 1985 (Republican)
• Jack Nigro (Democratic)

Results

Notes

1. Cafiero had previously served a term in the Senate from 1972 to 1982.
2. Kelly previously served a term in the General Assembly from 1982 to 1984.

References

1. Hochman, Louis (September 10, 2020). "NEW JERSEY'S 750 VICTIMS OF 9/11 — WE'LL NEVER FORGET THEM".
2. ^ "New Jersey's Redistricting". The New York Times. May 9, 2001. p. 30.
3. ^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2001 General Election" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
4. Wildstein, David (August 2, 2021). "It's Jack and Diane: Ciattarelli picks Allen as Lt. Governor candidate". The New Jersey Globe.
5. Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2001 General Election, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed August 25, 2017.

• New Jersey Senate elections
• 2001 state legislature elections in the United States
• 2001 New Jersey elections