2000 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey

Overview

District 1

Incumbent Democrat Rob Andrews won.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Rob Andrews, incumbent Representative from Haddon Heights since 1990

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Charlene Cathcart, tax attorney

Results

General election

Candidates

• Rob Andrews, incumbent Representative from Haddon Heights since 1990 (Democratic)
• Charlene Cathcart, tax attorney (Republican)
• Ed Forchion, marijuana legalization activist (Legalize Marijuana)
• Catherine L. Parrish (Green)
• Joseph Patalivo (NJ Conservative)

Results

District 2

Incumbent Republican Frank A. LoBiondo won.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Frank LoBiondo, incumbent Representative since 1995

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Steven A. Farkas
• Edward G. Janosik, retired political science professor

Results

General election

Candidates

• Robert Gabrielsky (Green)
• Edward G. Janosik, retired political science professor (Democratic)
• Frank LoBiondo, incumbent Representative since 1995 (Republican)
• Constantino Rozzo (Socialist)

Results

District 3

Incumbent Republican Jim Saxton won.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jim Saxton, incumbent Representative from Mount Holly since 1984

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Susan Bass Levin, mayor of Cherry Hill

Results

General election

Candidates

• Ken Feduniewicz (Reform)
• Aaron M. Kromash (Green)
• Susan Bass Levin, mayor of Cherry Hill (Democratic)
• Jim Saxton, incumbent Representative from Mount Holly since 1984 (Republican)
• Norman E. Wahner (NJ Conservative)

Results

District 4

Incumbent Republican Chris Smith won.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Chris Smith, incumbent Representative since 1981

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Reed Gusciora, assemblyman from Princeton

Withdrew

• Larry Schneider

Results

General election

Candidates

• Stuart Chaifetz (Green)
• Reed Gusciora, assemblyman from Princeton (Democratic)
• Chris Smith, incumbent Representative from Robbinsville since 1981 (Republican)
• Paul D. Teel (Unthinkable Courage)

Results

District 5

Incumbent Marge Roukema won after facing a strong primary challenge from assemblyman Scott Garrett for the second consecutive election.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Scott Garrett, Assemblyman from Wantage and candidate for this seat in 1998
• Marge Roukema, incumbent Representative from Ridgewood since 1981

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Linda A. Mercurio, independent Assembly candidate for New Jersey's 39th legislative district in 1999

Results

General election

Candidates

• Ira Goodman (Reform)
• Helen Hamilton (Natural Law)
• Michael King (Green)
• Robert J. McCafferty (New Jersey Independents)
• Linda A. Mercurio, independent Assembly candidate for New Jersey's 39th legislative district in 1999 (Democratic)
• Marge Roukema, incumbent Representative from Ridgewood since 1981 (Republican)

Results

District 6

Incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone won.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Frank Pallone, incumbent Representative from Long Branch since 1988

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Charles T. Hutchins
• Brian T. Kennedy, former state senator and assemblyman from Sea Girt and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994

Withdrew

• Mike Ferguson, Brookdale College teacher and nominee for this district in 1998 (ran for 7th district)

Results

General election

Candidates

• Earl Gray (Green)
• Brian T. Kennedy, former state senator and assemblyman from Sea Girt and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994 (Republican)
• Sylvia Kuzmak (NJ Conservative)
• Frank Pallone, incumbent Representative from Long Branch since 1988 (Democratic)
• Karen Zaletel (Reform)

Results

District 7

Incumbent representative Bob Franks announced in December 1999 that he would not seek re-election to his seat in the House, in order to run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Frank Lautenberg. His announcement left the 7th district seat open and hotly contested, with eight candidates declaring their campaigns for the major parties' nominations.

In the June primary, Mike Ferguson and Maryanne Connelly won the Republican and Democratic nominations, respectively. The general election was also sharply contested between the two parties; the Democratic Party cited this seat as one of their top opportunities in the country. In June, prior to the primaries, a national Democratic spokesman said, "It's one of our best opportunities in the country to pick up a Republican-held seat. It's a competitive open seat with a suburban electorate that has been trending Democratic."

In the end, Ferguson narrowly won the open seat over Connelly.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Mike Ferguson, Brookdale College teacher and nominee for New Jersey's 6th congressional district in 1998
• Thomas Kean Jr., former aide to Bob Franks and son of former governor Thomas Kean
• Patrick Morrissey, deputy staff director and chief health counsel for the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
• Joel Weingarten, assemblyman from Millburn

Withdrew

• Ken Gardner Jr., member of the Woodbridge Township Council and chair of the Woodbridge Republican Party
• Roderick McNealy, Hillsborough resident
• Patricia L. Walsh, member of the Green Brook Township Council

Declined

• Bob Franks, incumbent Representative from Summit since 1993 (ran for U.S. Senate)

Campaign

Bob Franks's decision in December 1999 to run for U.S. Senate set off a scramble to establish residency; three of the four eventual candidates did not live in the district at the time of Franks's announcement. Mike Ferguson, a Monmouth County teacher who was running as a candidate in the adjacent 6th district, moved into the 7th; Tom Kean Jr., the son of the former governor, was studying international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston; and Patrick Morrissey, a U.S. House staffer, relocated from Washington to run. Only assemblyman Joel Weingarten, a resident of Millburn, actually lived in the district at the time Franks announced his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Weingarten made an issue of his opponents' residencies. was also the oldest of the four candidates, at only 40 years.

Kean, the son of a popular former governor and one of the state's most prominent political families, was the early favorite for the nomination in polling and the only candidate with significant name recognition. However, he lost the support of the county parties to Ferguson and Weingarten. Kean was also the most liberal of the four candidates on gun control and abortion.

In the final weeks of the campaign, observers considered Ferguson and Weingarten the favorites.

Endorsements

• Middlesex County Republican Party
• Somerset County Republican Party}}{{Endorsements box|title=Thomas Kean Jr.|list=;State legislators
• Donald DiFrancesco, state senator from Scotch Plains and president of the New Jersey Senate}}{{Endorsements box|title=Joel Weingarten|list=;Political parties
• Union County Republican Party}}

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Maryanne Connelly, mayor of Fanwood and nominee for this seat in 1998
• Joel Farley, Westfield lawyer
• Jeffrey Golkin, member of the Warren Township Committee
• Mike Lapolla, former Union County Freeholder

Withdrew

• J. Brooke Hern, New Providence attorney and former Robert Torricelli staffer

Campaign

Maryanne Connelly, the party's nominee in 1998, had performed surprisingly well against Franks, a popular incumbent. Party leadership appeared prepared to nominate her against Franks again in 2000, but upon Franks's decision to run for U.S. Senate, they endorsed Mike Lapolla. Lapolla received further support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a rare pre-primary endorsement from the national body.

A candidate debate on May 2 revealed few differences between the four contenders, who each favored Medicaid expansion, stricter gun control, and a right to abortion.

Although Lapolla was considered a strong front-runner, he surprised observers with a sharp radio attack ad against Connelly, in which an actress plays Ms. Connelly as a contestant on a quiz show titled, Who Wants to Be a Member of Congress? In the ad, the Connelly character is questioned on her positions and requests a weather report so she can see which way the political winds are blowing. Connelly criticized the ad as sexist, and she received the endorsements of the National Organization for Women and EMILY's List.

Endorsements

• EMILY's List
• National Organization for Women}}{{Endorsements box|title=Mike Lapolla|list=;State legislators
• Rudy Garcia, assemblyman and mayor of Union City ;Political parties
• Middlesex County Democratic Party
• Somerset County Democratic Party
• Union County Democratic Party ;Organizations
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee}}

General election

Candidates

• Maryanne Connelly, mayor of Fanwood and nominee for this seat in 1998 (Democratic)
• Jerry Coleman (Green)
• Mike Ferguson, Brookdale College teacher and nominee for New Jersey's 6th congressional district in 1998 (Republican)
• Shawn Gianella (NJ Conservative)
• Mary T. Johnson (Natural Law)
• Darren Young (Libertarian)

Campaign

During the campaign, Rutgers University sophomore Frank Perrone Jr. was arrested for stealing Ferguson campaign signs.

Results

District 8

Incumbent Democrat Bill Pascrell won.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bill Pascrell, incumbent Representative from Paterson since 1997

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Anthony Fusco Jr., former East Hanover Township attorney
• Bernard Anthony George

Results

General election

Candidates

• Joseph Fortunato (Green)
• Anthony Fusco Jr., former East Hanover Township attorney (Republican)
• Bill Pascrell, incumbent Representative from Paterson since 1997 (Democratic)
• Viji Sargis (New Jersey Independents)

Results

District 9

Incumbent Democrat Steve Rothman won.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Steve Rothman, incumbent Representative from Fair Lawn since 1997

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Joseph Tedeschi

Results

General election

Candidates

• Robert Corriston (NJ Conservative)
• Lewis Pell (Green)
• Michael Perrone Jr. (Independent/Progressive)
• Steve Rothman, incumbent Representative from Fair Lawn since 1997 (Democratic)
• Joseph Tedeschi (Republican)

Results

District 10

Incumbent Democrat Donald M. Payne won.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Donald M. Payne, incumbent Representative from Newark since 1989

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Dirk B. Weber

Withdrew

• Rocky Flash, professional wrestler and race car driver

Results

General election

Candidates

• Donald M. Payne, incumbent Representative from Newark since 1989 (Democratic)
• Dirk B. Weber (Republican)
• Maurice Williams (Socialist Workers)

Results

District 11

Incumbent Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen won.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Rodney Frelinghuysen, incumbent Representative since 1995

Campaign

Filmmaker Michael Moore attempted to enter a ficus tree in the Republican primary against Frelinghuysen, but state election officials refused to certify its nominating petitions, forcing Moore to run a write-in campaign for the tree instead.

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John P. Scollo

Results

General election

Candidates

• Rodney Frelinghuysen, incumbent Representative from Harding since 1995 (Republican)
• John Pickarski (Green)
• John P. Scollo (Democratic)
• James E. Spinosa (NJ Conservative)

Results

District 12

In the Republican primary, Zimmer easily defeated his successor, one-term Representative Mike Pappas, who was seeking a return to Congress after losing the 1998 election to Holt.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Rush Holt Jr., incumbent Representative from Pennington since 1999

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Mike Pappas, former Representative for this district (199799)
• Dick Zimmer, former Representative for this district (199197) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1996

Declined

• Leonard Lance, assemblyman and candidate for this district in 1996

Campaign

Pappas, who lost his seat in embarrassing fashion after singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Star" on the floor of the House in 1998, ran for the Republican nomination. He faced his predecessor Dick Zimmer, who had given up the seat to run for U.S. Senate in 1996.

Pappas was positioned as a strong conservative, while Zimmer was noted for his moderate stances on social issues. Zimmer had the support of most of the Republican Party establishment in the state, including governors Christine Todd Whitman and Tom Kean, party chair Chuck Haytaian, and all five county Republican organizations in the district, and supporters argued that he would be more likely to unseat Holt in the general election. Pappas had impassioned support from social conservatives, including opponents of abortion and gun control.

The race was largely civil until May, when Zimmer began running radio advertisements with recordings of Zimmer singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Starr" and Pappas sent out mailers accusing Zimmer of inspiring the state income tax during his time as head of Common Cause in the 1970s. Zimmer's campaign was generally better funded and able to advertise, while Pappas relied on grassroots support and direct voter outreach.

Endorsements

• Dick Armey, U.S. representative from and House majority leader
• Tom DeLay, U.S. representative from and House majority whip ;Organizations
• New Jersey Right to Life
• New Jersey Sportsman Association ;Individuals
• Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum}}{{Endorsements box|title=Dick Zimmer|list=;Governors
• Christine Todd Whitman, governor of New Jersey
• Thomas Kean, former governor of New Jersey ;U.S. representatives
• Thomas M. Davis III, U.S. representative from and chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
• Dennis Hastert, U.S. representative from and speaker of the House ;State legislators
• Chuck Haytaian, chair of the New Jersey Republican Party and former speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly ;Political parties
• Hunterdon County Republican Party
• Mercer County Republican Party
• Middlesex County Republican Party
• Monmouth County Republican Party
• Somerset County Republican Party}}

Results

General election

Candidates

• John P. Desmond (NJ Conservative)
• Rush Holt Jr., incumbent Representative from Pennington since 1999 (Democratic)
• Carl Mayer, runner-up for the Democratic nomination in this district in 1996 and 1998 (Green)
• Worth Winslow (Libertarian)
• Dick Zimmer, former Representative for this district (199197) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1996 (Republican)

Results

District 13

Incumbent Democrat Bob Menendez won. This is a heavily urbanized district covering Hudson County.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bob Menendez, incumbent Representative from Union City since 1993

Withdrew

• Esther Gatria, college student

Campaign

Esther Gatria, a college student with ties to Union City mayor and assemblyman Rudy Garcia, submitted petitions to challenge Menendez but withdrew after Menendez urged U.S. Attorney Robert J. Cleary to investigate her petition signatures for fraud. She later took a job in Garcia's office, but he resigned under scrutiny a few weeks later.

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Theresa de Leon
• Carlos E. Munoz
• Harold Turner

Results

General election

Candidates

• Theresa de Leon (Republican)
• Alina Lydia Fonteboa (In Common Effort)
• Dick Hester (Constitution)
• Bob Menendez, incumbent Representative from Union City since 1993 (Democratic)
• Claudette C. Meliere (Green)
• Kari Sachs (Socialist Workers)
• Herbert Shaw, perennial candidate (Politicians are Crooks)

Results

References

References

1. "General Election Data - 1924 to 2022".
2. (April 17, 2008). "Official List: Candidate Returns for House of Representatives for June 2000 Primary Election".
3. (May 17, 2008). "Official List: Candidate Returns for House of Representatives for November 2000 General Election".
4. Peterson, Iver. (2000-06-02). "Candidates in House Race Look for Way to Emerge From Field of 8". The New York Times.
5. (2008-05-28). "What ever happened to Frank Perrone, Jr., aka The Lawn Sign Kid, and other forgettable figures of Campaign 2000".
6. Jacobs, Andrew. (2000-05-27). "Congressional Primary in New Jersey Mirrors G.O.P.'s Divisions". The New York Times.