1976 New Jersey Republican presidential primary

none June 2025 January 2025 1976 New Jersey Republican presidential primaries New Jersey 1972 New Jersey Republican presidential primary 1972 1980 New Jersey Republican presidential primary 1980 CA OH June 8, 1976 yes Presidential delegate primary primary Yes 67 Republican National Convention delegates 250px File:NOTA Option Logo 3x4.svg Uncommitted (supported Gerald Ford) 000000 67 860,087 80.6% Ronald Reagan with cowboy hat 12-0071M edit.jpg Ronald Reagan e35e5e California 0 207,236 19.4% yes primary Presidential preference primary (non-binding) Yes No Republican National Convention delegates Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg Gerald Ford 4997d0 Michigan 242,122 100.0% 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries The 1976 New Jersey Republican presidential primary was held on June 8, 1976, in New Jersey as one of the Republican Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1976 United States presidential election. In the binding delegate primary, uncommitted delegates endorsed by the state and county parties, who supported incumbent Gerald Ford swept the statewide contest and congressional district races against delegate slates pledged to former California governor Ronald Reagan.1976 New Jersey primary results https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1920-1970//1976-primary-election.pdf nj.gov However, Reagan publicly disclaimed the delegates (who therefore could not legally use his name), and his campaign refused to send any money into the state, effectively conceding the delegation to Ford in advance.Times Ronald Sullivan Special to The New York 1976-05-22 'Grass-Roots' https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/22/archives/grassroots-drive-in-jersey-backs-reagan.html 2025-07-08 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 In the non-binding preference primary, Ford was the only candidate on the ballot. In combination with the Democratic primary held the same day, a higher percentage of eligible voters (28.1%) cast a ballot in the 1976 primaries than in any presidential year since 1952 (39%). Background Reagan was supported in New Jersey by a grassroots initiative; the Reagan campaign refused to enter his name into the statewide preference primary and instead focused their efforts on the California and Ohio primaries on the same day, effectively conceding to Ford in the state. Many of the Reagan delegates entered the race at the eleventh hour, filing only minutes before the April 29 deadline. Procedure In 1976, seven delegates were elected on a statewide slate and four delegates were elected individually from each of the state's fourteen congressional districts.Wildstein David 2024-10-01 Jimmy Carter turns 100. Here's our look at his four presidential campaigns in New Jersey https://newjerseyglobe.com/presidential-election/jimmy-carter-turns-100-heres-our-look-at-his-four-presidential-campaigns-in-new-jersey/ 2025-06-02 New Jersey Globe en-US Candidates Gerald Ford, incumbent president since 1974 Ronald Reagan, former governor of California Endorsements section July 2025 Gerald Ford State legislators Thomas Kean, assemblyman from New Jersey's 25th legislative district and former speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (ran for delegate at-large; uncommitted) Individuals Richard B. Sellars, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson (ran for district delegate; uncommitted) Uncommitted ;U.S. congressmembers Clifford Case, U.S. senator from New Jersey since 1955 (ran for delegate at-large) Millicent Fenwick, U.S. representative from New Jersey's 5th congressional district (ran for delegate at-large) Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., former U.S. representative from New Jersey's 5th congressional district (ran for district delegate) Matt Rinaldo, U.S. representative from New Jersey's 12th congressional district (ran for delegate at-large) Charles W. Sandman Jr., former U.S. representative from New Jersey's 2nd congressional district (ran for delegate at-large) State executive branch officials Herbert J. Heilmann, former executive director of the New Jersey Office of Consumer Protection and assemblyman from New Jersey's 9th legislative district (ran for alternate at-large) State legislators Joseph Azzolina, former state senator from New Jersey's 5th legislative district (ran for district alternate) Brian T. Kennedy, assemblyman from New Jersey's 10th legislative district (ran for district delegate Albert W. Merck, former assemblyman (ran for district delegate) Marie Sheehan Muhler, assemblywoman from New Jersey's 11th legislative district (ran for district alternate) Richard R. Stout, former state senator (ran for district delegate) John L. White, former state senator (ran for district delegate) Local officials John K. Rafferty, mayor of Hamilton (ran for district delegate) Party officials Benjamin Danskin, chair of the Monmouth County Republican Party (ran for delegate at-large) John E. Dimon, former chair of the New Jersey Republican Party and Burlington County Republican Party (ran for district alternate) Webster B. Todd, chair of the New Jersey Republican Party (ran for delegate at-large) Individuals Aubrey Lewis (ran for alternate at-large) William F. Dowd, New Jersey Senate parliamentarian and former aide to President Richard Nixon (ran for alternate at-large) Charles W. Roll Jr., advisor to Nelson Rockefeller (ran for district delegate) Campaign The party delegate slate, which was formally uncommitted and publicly for President Ford, was led by U.S. senator Clifford P. Case at Case's own insistence, over the objections of party chair Webster B. Todd. The New York Times reported that the statewide delegate slate was secretly in favor of a nominee more liberal than Ford, such as vice president Nelson Rockefeller. Lacking official sanction from the Reagan campaign, the insurgents claimed his support regardless. “Of course, Governor Reagan is behind us,” said one statewide delegate candidate. “He just can't say so publicly.” Because they could not use his name, they appeared on the ballot as candidates on the "Former Calif. Governor for President" ticket. According to The New York Times, state leadership characterized the Reagan delegates as a "rightwing guerrilla attack on President Ford, Vice President Rockefeller, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Senator Clifford P. Case, not necessarily in that order." Under the county line system, the Republican organizations developed ballots with the Reagan slates listed in remote columns. The Reagan organizers were not professional politicians, with even the most conservative elected officials avoiding a campaign against the entire state establishment. Former representative Charles W. Sandman Jr., who had a reputation as a leading conservative in the state, openly expressed his fear that a Reagan nomination would result in a Democratic landslide in the style of the 1964 election. Results Preference primary results 1976 New Jersey presidential preference primary Gerald Ford (incumbent) Republican Party (US) 242,122 100.00% 242,122 100.00% Delegate primary results Delegate slate Candidate Delegate candidates Delegates Aggregate votes Statewide District Total Oftotal(%) Total Oftotal(%) Uncommitted 8 66 67 100.0 858,611 80.45 Former Calif. Governor for President Ronald Reagan 7 33 0 0.00 207,236 19.42For the PresidentGerald Ford0100.001,4760.14 Total 15 100 67 100.0 1,067,323 100.00 Registered voters, and turnout Delegate primary results by contest +1976 New Jersey Republican primaryContestDelegatesand popular vote UncommittedUncommitted totals in the district elections are the totals of the top four uncommitted delegate candidates; i.e., the establishment slate. Additional delegate candidates are listed under "other". Reagan Ford Other TotalDelegates at-large71,519,779 (71.34%)586,132 (27.51%) 24,552 (1.15%)2,130,4631st district435,249 (59.40%)22,289 (37.56%)1,805 (3.04%)59,3432nd district4108,610 (93.35%)8,106 (6.95%)116,7163rd district478,760 (93.41%)5,557 (6.59%)84,3174th district425,086 (61.66%)15,596 (38.34%)40,6825th district4103,450 (74.45%)33,182 (22.38%)2,316 (1.67%)138,9486th district478,887 (70.25%)33,405 (29.75%)112,2927th district482,351 (73.69%)29,403 (26.31%)111,7548th district433,875 (100.00%)33,8759th district449,376 (97.10%)1,476 (2.90%)50,85210th district49,881 (73.94%)3,483 (26.06%)13,36411th district451,738 (72.41%)19,711 (27.59%)71,44912th district461,431 (74.32%)21,223 (25.68%)82,65413th district479,128 (66.99%)38,983 (33.01%)118,11114th district413,223 (100.00%)13,22315th district419,743 (100.00%)19,743District subtotal67830,788 (77.84%)207,236 (19.42%)1,476 (0.14%)27,823 (2.61%)1,067,323 Aftermath Ultimately, the New Jersey delegation was split at the 1976 national convention; Ford won 63 delegates while Reagan won four.July 2025 See also 1976 New Jersey Democratic presidential primary References New Jersey Category:1976 New Jersey elections 1976