From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1996 United States Senate election in New Jersey
none
none
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1996 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| country | New Jersey |
| type | presidential |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 1990 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| previous_year | 1990 |
| next_election | 2002 United States Senate election in New Jersey |
| next_year | 2002 |
| election_date | November 5, 1996 |
| turnout | 72% ( 18pp) |
| image_size | x145px |
| image1 | Robert Torricelli.jpg |
| nominee1 | **Robert Torricelli** |
| party1 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| popular_vote1 | **1,519,328** |
| percentage1 | **53.12%** |
| image2 | File:Dick Zimmer.jpg |
| nominee2 | Dick Zimmer |
| party2 | Republican Party (United States) |
| popular_vote2 | 1,227,817 |
| percentage2 | 42.93% |
| map_image | |
| map_caption | **Torricelli**: |
| **Zimmer**: | |
| title | U.S. Senator |
| before_election | Bill Bradley |
| before_party | Democratic Party (United States) |
| after_election | Robert Torricelli |
| after_party | Democratic Party (United States) |
Zimmer:
The 1996 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Bradley decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. The seat was won by Democratic congressman Robert Torricelli.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Robert Torricelli, U.S. representative from Englewood
Declined
- Rob Andrews, U.S. representative from Bellmawr
- Bill Bradley, incumbent senator since 1979 (declined August 17, 1995)
- James Florio, former governor of New Jersey
- Ray Lesniak, state senator from Elizabeth
- Jim McGreevey, state senator and mayor of Woodbridge
- Bob Menendez, U.S. representative from Union City (declined October 21, 1995)
Campaign
Senator Bill Bradley announced on August 17, 1995, that he would not stand for a fourth term.
Initial speculation in the Democratic Party centered on two North Jersey congressmen, Robert Torricelli and Robert Menendez. Torricelli, who had over $1.2 million in campaign funds on hand and had been contacting key players for several weeks in anticipation that Bradley would retire, immediately issued a statement claiming several prominent party members had urged him to run for the seat.
Menendez, who had roughly $165,000 in funds, likewise issued a statement that he would give the race "serious consideration" and "look at it in terms of what's in the best interest of the party and the state." Menendez's decision was further complicated by the fact that Torricelli's district also included part of Hudson County, and many local politicians immediately endorsed Torricelli. In September, he requested that Hudson County politicians refrain from taking sides, given the potential for a competitive primary. Menendez ultimately announced he would not challenge Torricelli in October 1995, fueling immediate speculation that he would campaign for governor in 1997.
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
- Richard DuHaime, Passaic County freeholder
- Dick LaRossa, state senator from Ewing
- Dick Zimmer, U.S. representative from Delaware Township
Declined
- Michael Chertoff, former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
- Thomas Kean, former governor
- Marge Roukema, U.S. representative from Ridgewood
- Bret Schundler, mayor of Jersey City
Campaign
Zimmer announced his campaign before Bradley's announced retirement, and was the front-runner from the start, getting endorsements from Republican leaders across the state, including Governor Christine Todd Whitman. Bradley's retirement shook up the race, as several serious contenders, including the popular former Governor Thomas Kean, reconsidered whether to run.
Both DuHaime, a pro-life candidate, and La Rossa, a pro-gun candidate, attempted to portray Zimmer as too liberal, but Zimmer largely ignored his opponents and won the primary easily.
Results
General election
Candidates
- Robert Torricelli, U.S. representative from Englewood (Democratic)
- Dick Zimmer, U.S. representative from Delaware Township (Republican)
Campaign
Democratic U.S. Representative Robert Torricelli won his party's primary unopposed, and Republican U.S. Representative Dick Zimmer won his party's nomination easily. Torricelli defeated Zimmer in the general election by 10 points, while President Bill Clinton simultaneously carried New Jersey by almost 18% in his reelection bid. Third-party and independent candidates carried 4.8% of the vote.
Like other Democratic candidates around the country, Torricelli tried to tie "Zig-Zag Zimmer" to House Speaker Newt Gingrich and attacked him for flip flopping on his positions on issues like Medicare, gun control and an increase in the minimum wage during the campaign. Zimmer tried to cast his opponent as a tax-and-spend liberal with ethical flaws. Military morale was also a part of the campaign.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| administered | Sample | |||||
| size | Margin | |||||
| of error | Robert | |||||
| Torricelli (D) | Dick | |||||
| Zimmer (R) | Other/ | |||||
| undecided | ||||||
| Rutgers-Eagleton | September 6–13, 1995 | 804 A | ±3.5% | 29% | **34%** | 37% |
| 707 RV | ±3.5% | 29% | **34%** | 36% | ||
| date=September 2025}} | June 13–19, 1996 | 646 RV | ±4.0% | **39%** | 31% | 31% |
| date=September 2025}} | September 5–11, 1996 | 627 RV | ±4.0% | **38%** | 32% | 30% |
| date=September 2025}} | October 10–20, 1996 | 810 RV | ±3.5% | **40%** | 35% | 25% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton | Oct. 29–Nov. 1, 1996 | 810 RV | ±3.5% | **41%** | 37% | 19% |
| 508 LV | ±4.5% | **42%** | 41% | 17% |
| Poll source | Date(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| administered | Sample | |||||
| size | Margin | |||||
| of error | Jim | |||||
| Florio (D) | Dick | |||||
| Zimmer (R) | Other/ | |||||
| Undecided | ||||||
| Rutgers-Eagleton | September 6–13, 1995 | 804 A | ±3.5% | 39% | **42%** | 19% |
| 707 RV | ±4.0% | 39% | **43%** | 18% |
Results
By county
| County | Torricelli votes | Torricelli % | Zimmer votes | Zimmer % | Other votes | Other % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | **41,564** | **53.3%** | 33,416 | 42.8% | 3,024 | 3.9% | |
| Bergen | **185,365** | **53.6%** | 150,655 | 43.6% | 9,544 | 2.9% | |
| Burlington | **73,517** | **49.7%** | 66,450 | 44.9% | 7,957 | 5.3% | |
| Camden | **105,932** | **59.9%** | 62,564 | 35.4% | 8,260 | 4.7% | |
| Cape May | 17,786 | 43.2% | **22,040** | **53.5%** | 1,378 | 3.4% | |
| Cumberland | **22,129** | **53.6%** | 16,886 | 40.9% | 2,246 | 5.5% | |
| Essex | **160,714** | **67.9%** | 68,286 | 28.9% | 7,608 | 3.2% | |
| Gloucester | **49,190** | **51.7%** | 40,105 | 42.2% | 5,830 | 6.2% | |
| Hudson | **111,539** | **71.1%** | 39,220 | 25.0% | 6,143 | 3.9% | |
| Hunterdon | 15,538 | 31.2% | **31,002** | **62.3%** | 3,247 | 6.5% | |
| Mercer | **67,867** | **55.3%** | 48,829 | 39.8% | 6,110 | 5.0% | |
| Middlesex | **133,123** | **54.6%** | 94,978 | 39.0% | 15,512 | 6.4% | |
| Monmouth | 108,060 | 47.1% | **109,173** | **47.6%** | 11,987 | 5.3% | |
| Morris | 73,921 | 39.2% | **103,283** | **54.8%** | 11,378 | 6.0% | |
| Ocean | 91,041 | 47.4% | **92,505** | **48.2%** | 8,527 | 4.4% | |
| Passaic | **74,118** | **54.3%** | 57,090 | 41.8% | 5,407 | 3.9% | |
| Salem | 11,736 | 46.2% | **12,102** | **47.6%** | 1,585 | 6.3% | |
| Somerset | 44,748 | 41.4% | **58,393** | **54.0%** | 5,068 | 4.7% | |
| Sussex | 18,152 | 34.3% | **30,865** | **58.4%** | 3,843 | 7.3% | |
| Union | **99,356** | **55.5%** | 69,781 | 39.0% | 9,784 | 5.4% | |
| Warren | 13,932 | 38.0% | **20,194** | **55.1%** | 2,523 | 6.9% | |
| **Total** | **1,519,328** | **52.7%** | 1,227,817 | 42.6% | 136,961 | 4.7% |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Bergen
- Passaic
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Salem
- Cape May
References
References
- "General Election Data - 1924 to 2022".
- Wilson, Greg. (17 Aug 1995). "Bradley bows out; Menendez, Torricelli eye his Senate seat". [[The Jersey Journal]].
- Weiss, Peter. (24 Oct 1995). "No delays next time". [[The Jersey Journal]].
- Weiss, Peter. (12 Sep 1995). "Menendez still in hunt". [[The Jersey Journal]].
- "US Senate Primary Election Returns for election held June 4, 1996".
- (5 June 1996). "U.S. Senate Race in New Jersey Narrows to Zimmer and Torricelli". [[The New York Times]].
- [https://eagletonpoll.parc.us.com/client/index.html#/search Rutgers-Eagleton]
- "NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Election Results Archive".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1996 United States Senate election in New Jersey — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report