2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election

The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2001. Republican incumbent Donald DiFrancesco ran for reelection to a full term but withdrew from the Republican primary. Democratic nominee Jim McGreevey won the general election with 56 percent of the vote against Republican Bret Schundler, becoming New Jersey's first majority-elected governor since James Florio in 1989. Primary elections were held on June 25. McGreevey won the Democratic nomination for the second consecutive election after U.S. senator Robert Torricelli failed to gain party organization support and dropped out of the race in July 2000. In the Republican primary, Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler defeated former U.S. representative Bob Franks after DiFrancesco withdrew. Democrats simultaneously ended Republican control of both houses of the legislature after 10 years. As of 2026, this is the last statewide election in which Democrats won Monmouth or Ocean counties. This was the first time since 1973 that a Democrat won without carrying Cape May County. McGreevey, who was sworn in on January 15, 2002, resigned in November 2004 after disclosing both his homosexuality and an alleged extramarital relationship with a man whom he had appointed as one of his advisors. He was succeeded by Senate president Richard Codey, who served the remainder of McGreevey's term until 2006. == Democratic primary == === Candidates === Jim McGreevey, mayor of Woodbridge, former state senator and nominee for governor in 1997 Elliot Greenspan, supporter of Lyndon LaRouche ==== Withdrew ==== Robert Torricelli, U.S. senator since 1997 (withdrew July 31, 2000) ==== Declined ==== Frank Pallone, U.S. representative from Long Branch Bill Pascrell, U.S. representative from Paterson === Campaign === Beginning with his loss in the 1997 campaign, Jim McGreevey actively sought support for a second consecutive nomination for governor by courting labor leaders and county party chairmen, whose endorsements were crucial to securing the county line. In late June 2000, he raised $3.2 million for the state party. In July 2000, U.S. senator Robert Torricelli announced he would challenge McGreevey for the nomination. Torricelli put himself forward as a candidate who could bridge the gap between the northern and southern wings of the party, which remained bitterly divided after the primary election for United States Senate earlier in the year. He quickly secured the support of some labor leaders and minor endorsements in Camden, Morris, Bergen and Burlington counties, and his supporters predicted that he would receive party endorsements in populous Essex and Hudson counties as well, giving him a "stranglehold" on the nomination. However, Torricelli was dogged by ethics complaints stemming from his 1996 campaign, which had resulted in a federal investigation and guilty pleas from six contributors, and his widely publicized investments in several private equity deals. Additionally, his personal style and ambition had drawn many rivals within the state party. With support from state senators Raymond Lesniak and John A. Lynch Jr., McGreevey was able to block Torricelli from gaining South Jersey county endorsements and lock up the support of organized labor. In late July, the state party published polling which showed that McGreevey led Torricelli among likely primary voters 35 percent to 31 percent, signaling another bitter primary fight. In response, Newark mayor Sharpe James and other Essex County leaders, including state senator Richard Codey, endorsed McGreevey. At the news conference announcing their endorsements, McGreevey swiped at Torricelli, "The Democratic Party is greater than any individual's political ambitions." On July 31, Torricelli ended his campaign for the nomination, saying that he had been "humbled" by his failure to generate grassroots support and "naive" for believing that "people would put their own interests aside to work toward the goal of something larger." Although party chair Thomas Giblin praised his decision to back out rather than fracture the party, Torricelli declined to immediately endorse McGreevey, instead citing his colleagues Frank Pallone and Bill Pascrell as potential nominees. === Results === === Aftermath === Rutgers University political science professor Cliff Zukin observed that Torricelli's decision to enter the race and abruptly withdraw damaged his standing within the state party and his ambitions for the presidency. Ultimately, Torricelli ended his political career in 2002 under the cloud of his campaign finance scandal, when he dropped out of his bid for re-election to the Senate trailing in the general election polls. == Republican primary == === Candidates === Bob Franks, former U.S. representative from Summit and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000 Bret Schundler, mayor of Jersey City ==== Withdrew ==== Donald DiFrancesco, president of the New Jersey Senate and acting governor ==== Declined ==== Jack Collins, speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996 William E. Schluter, state senator from Pennington (ran as independent) === Polling === === Results === == General election == === Candidates === Jerry Coleman (Green) Mark Edgerton (Libertarian) Michael Koontz (Conservative) James McGreevey, former mayor of Woodbridge, state senator, and nominee for governor in 1997 (Democratic) Costantino Rozzo (Socialist) Kari Sachs (Socialist Workers) William E. Schluter, state senator from Pennington (Independent) Bret Schundler, mayor of Jersey City (Republican) === Polling === === Results === ==== Results by county ==== Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Atlantic (largest municipality: Egg Harbor Township) Bergen (largest municipality: Hackensack) Monmouth (largest municipality: Middletown Township) Ocean (largest municipality: Lakewood) Salem (largest municipality: Pennsville Township) == Notes == == References == Official campaign websites Jim McGreevey (D) for Governor Bret Schundler (R) for Governor