1956 New Jersey Democratic presidential primary

none June 2025 January 2025 1956 New Jersey Democratic presidential primaries New Jersey 1952 New Jersey Democratic presidential primary 1952 1960 New Jersey Democratic presidential primary 1960 April 17, 1956 yes Presidential delegate primary primary Yes 72 Democratic National Convention delegates(36 delegate votes) 250px File:NOTA Option Logo 3x4.svg Uncommitted(favored Adlai Stevenson II) 000000 71 2,989,282 70.8% File:Estes Kefauver (1).jpg Estes Kefauver ffd12b 1 1,232,435 29.2% yes primary Presidential preference primary (non-binding) Yes No Democratic National Convention delegates File:Estes Kefauver (1).jpg Estes Kefauver ffd12b Tennessee 117,056 95.7% File:Adlai Stevenson (1).jpg Adlai Stevenson II(write-in) 1E90FF Illinois 4,043 3.3% 1956 Democratic Party presidential primaries The 1956 New Jersey Democratic presidential primary was held on April 21, 1956, in New Jersey as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1956 United States presidential election. In the binding delegate primary, uncommitted delegates selected by party leaders and favoring Adlai Stevenson II were challenged by delegates backing Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee. However, only one Kefauver delegate, Irwin Le Wine of Caldwell, was elected.'Bombshell' to N.J. Delegate https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1956/08/01/305840952.html 2025-06-04 The New York Times en 0362-4331 In the preference primary held at the same time, Kefauver was the only candidate to file to run before the March 8 deadline,Times George Cable Wright Special To the New York 1956-03-09 KEFAUVER SLATE FILED IN JERSEY; Senator Plans a Campaign to 'Sweep State'--Meyner Regulars Are Confident Tour of State Scheduled https://www.nytimes.com/1956/03/09/archives/kefauver-slate-filed-in-jersey-senator-plans-a-campaign-to-sweep.html 2025-06-04 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 and he received an overwhelming majority of the Democratic vote, though significant write-in votes were cast for Adlai Stevenson II and Robert Meyner. Background Entering the middle of April, Estes Kefauver was dominating the Democratic primary elections, having swept the New Hampshire primary and won 28 out of 30 delegates in the Minnesota primary. On April 3, he swept all 28 delegates in the Wisconsin primary.Wright George Cable 1956-04-18 MEYNER'S SLATE STOPS KEFAUVER IN JERSEY VOTING; Senator Suffers His First Major Defeat Since He Began His Campaign EISENHOWER FAR AHEAD Leads Tennessean by 3 to 1 in the Balloting to Indicate Presidential Preference MEYNER'S SLATE STOPS KEFAUVER https://www.nytimes.com/1956/04/18/archives/meyners-slate-stops-kefauver-in-jersey-voting-senator-suffers-his.html 2025-06-04 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 As early as the rout in Minnesota, supporters of Adlai Stevenson II had begun re-evaluating their candidate's chances at a second consecutive nomination. In 1952, Kefauver had been unopposed in the New Jersey preference primary but did not win the support of the state's Democratic convention delegates. In 1956, a group of Kefauver supporters led by Martin J. Rafferty filed to run in the April 17 primary election, challenging the uncommitted slate of delegates led by Governor Robert B. Meyner, which overwhelmingly favored 1952 nominee Adlai Stevenson II.Times George Cable Wright Special To the New York 1956-03-30 KEFAUVER TO VISIT JERSEY IN A WEEK; Plans 5-Day Drive for Slate of Presidential Backers-- May Not See Meyner https://www.nytimes.com/1956/03/30/archives/kefauver-to-visit-jersey-in-a-week-plans-5day-drive-for-slate-of.html 2025-06-04 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 Informed that his delegates would be challenged, Meyner remarked, "I believe we will remain non-committed. The voters will have the choice of our ticket or that pledge to Mr. Kefauver." As in 1952, Kefauver was the only candidate to file for the preference primary and therefore the only candidate to appear on the ballot. Procedure Sixteen delegates were elected at-large on a statewide ticket, and another four were elected from each of the state's 14 congressional districts.https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1920-1970//1956-primary-election.pdf New Jersey Department of State Results of the Primary Election Held April 17th, 1956 June 4, 2025 Each delegate would have half a vote at the 1956 Democratic National Convention. Campaign Most Democratic leaders were confident that the organization slate would not be beaten. Kefauver scheduled a brief tour of the state, speaking in Princeton and at Rutgers University on April 6 and returning the following week ahead of the April 17 election. In late March, Meyner's executive secretary, Robert J. Burkhardt, invited Kefauver (through his national campaign manager, F. Joseph Donahue) to hold a joint press conference and share lunch with Meyner, but Donahue declined citing scheduling conflicts. Instead, Kefauver expanded his April 6 visit to five days, scheduling additional rallies in Newark, Lakewood, Nutley, and Monmouth County, as well as further visits to Passaic County industrial plants, South Jersey farmers markets, luncheons in Whippany and Linden, and a cocktail party in Teaneck. During the primary campaign, Meyner appealed for a vote for his slate as a vote of confidence in his administration as governor. Results On election day, the Meyner slate won a large majority of the vote, defeating Kefauver in every district and conceding only one delegate (worth one-half vote), in Essex County. In addition, Kefauver received far fewer votes in the preference primary than Dwight D. Eisenhower, the only other candidate on the ballot. In Princeton, where Stevenson had graduated from the prestigious university and Kefauver made a key campaign stop, Kefauver won by a vote of 176 to 124. Preference primary results 1956 New Jersey presidential preference primary Estes Kefauver Democratic Party (US) 117,056 95.72% Adlai Stevenson II (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 4,043 3.31% Robert Meyner (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 1,129 0.92% Averell Harriman (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 27 0.02% Stuart Symington (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 15 0.01% Frank Lausche (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 9 0.00% Harry S. Truman (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 6 0.00% Vincent Panaro (write-in) Democratic Party (US) 1 0.00% 122,286 100.00% Delegate primary results +1956 New Jersey Democratic primaryDelegate slateCandidateDelegate candidatesDelegatesAggregate votesStateDistrictTotalOf total (%)TotalOf total (%)Regular Democratic OrganizationUncommitted (favored Adlai Stevenson II) 16 56 71 98.61 2,989,282 70.79KefauverEstes Kefauver 16 56 1 1.39 1,232,435 29.19Other0100.009130.02Total3211372100.04,222,630100.00Registered voters, and turnout Delegate primary results by contest +1956 New Jersey Democratic primaryContestDelegatesand popular voteTotal RegularDemocratic OrganizationKefauverOtherDelegates at-large162,404,338 (69.98%)1,031,599 (30.02%)3,435,937NJ 1 C453,675 (75.24%)45,862 (24.76%)71,337NJ 2 C412,926 (59.24%)7,979 (36.57%)913 (4.18%)All votes for Albert J. Cucci of Laurelton.21,818NJ 3 C443,742 (73.21%)27,622 (26.79%)59,746NJ 4 C442,346 (61.17%)26,884 (38.83%)69,230NJ 5 C449,364 (80.36%)12,459 (19.64%)61,432NJ 6 C437,538 (74.18%)55,715 (25.82%)50,607NJ 7 C431,688 (68.64%)29,098 (31.36%)46,165NJ 8 C424,471 (76.37%)14,544 (23.63%)32,043NJ 9 C437,933 (79.29%)30,836 (20.71%)47,839NJ 10 C427,769 (72.86%)32,238 (27.14%)38,112NJ 11 C419,395 (69.79%)21,176 (30.21%)27,792NJ 12 C317,678 (66.89%)123,033 (33.11%)26,430NJ 13 C493,175 (77.79%)54,633 (22.21%)119,785NJ 14 C493,244 (81.54%)56,055 (18.46%)114,357District subtotal55584,944 (74.35%)1200,836 (25.53%)913 (0.12%)786,693 Aftermath The New Jersey delegate primary was the first major defeat for Kefauver since he had launched his second campaign for the Democratic nomination. Meyner's victory greatly increased Stevenson's odds of nomination and his own national prestige. Kefauver withdrew from the race on July 31, ahead of the Democratic National Convention, and Stevenson was nominated at the convention without opposition. References New Jersey Category:1956 New Jersey elections 1956