1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election

none 1985 United States gubernatorial elections January 2025 September 2023 1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election New Jersey Presidential no 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial election 1981 1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election 1989 November 5, 1985 52%https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/other/2022-1925-general-election-data.pdf General Election Data - 1924 to 2022 NJ.gov ( 12pp) File:Tom Kean 1981 (3x4 cropped).jpg 150x150px Thomas Kean Republican Party (United States) 1,372,631 69.58% File:3x4.svg Peter Shapiro Democratic Party (United States) 578,402 29.32% 280px County results 280px Congressional district resultsOnly top two candidates Kean: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% Governor Thomas Kean Republican Party (United States) Thomas Kean Republican Party (United States) The 1985 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1985. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean won a landslide re-election against the Democratic candidate, Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro. Until 2025, Kean had the largest margin in raw votes, but still holds the record for the largest percentage margin and largest vote share in all New Jersey gubernatorial elections to date.http://www.politifact.com/new-jersey/statements/2012/nov/29/raymond-bateman/raymond-bateman-says-tom-kean-won-1985-gubernatori/ Raymond Bateman says Tom Kean won the 1985 gubernatorial election by largest margin in state's history O'Neill, Erin November 29, 2012 PolitiFact New Jersey June 16, 2015 Kean was the first Republican to be re-elected governor since 1949, and the first Republican to ever win two four-year terms. Primary elections were held on June 4. Kean was unopposed for the Republican nomination. In the Democratic primary, Shapiro prevailed over strong competition from Senate President John F. Russo and Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson. Stephen B. Wiley and Robert Del Tufo ran competitive campaigns but finished well behind the top three. The general election was a foregone conclusion in favor of the popular incumbent. Kean won 564 out of 567 municipalities (all except Audubon Park, Chesilhurst, and Roosevelt)https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/15/nyregion/reality-catches-up-utopian-legacy-new-jersey-oasis-debates-high-taxes-suburban.html Reality Catches Up to a Utopian Legacy; A New Jersey Oasis Debates High Taxes and Suburban Growth The New York Times November 15, 1999 Hanley, Robert June 16, 2015 When Gov. Thomas H. Kean, a Republican, ran for re-election in 1985, he won by a landslide, with 564 of the state's 567 towns. Roosevelt was one of the three that voted against him. (The others were two tiny boroughs in Camden County: Audubon Park and Chesilhurst.) and a 62% majority among African-American voters,https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/30/opinion/how-the-gop-can-nail-down-the-black-vote.html How the G.O.P. Can Nail Down the Black Vote Stone, Roger The New York Times September 30, 1989 August 30, 2016 a remarkable margin for a modern Republican candidate. Kean's coattails led the Republicans to win the General Assembly for the first time since the 1971 elections.http://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/11/05/Republican-Gov-Thomas-Kean-winner-four-years-ago-of/6189500014800/ Republican Gov. Thomas Kean, winner four years ago of... Reilly, Matthew United Press International November 5, 1985 June 16, 2015 To date, Kean is the last Republican to win Essex and Hudson counties in a statewide election and the last candidate of any party to carry every county. Until 2021, this was the last election where the winning candidate was of the same party as the sitting president. Republican primary Candidates Thomas Kean, incumbent governor since 1982 Campaign finance Primary campaign finance activityCandidateSpentTom Kean$1,144,244Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement CommissionNJ Election Law Enforcement Commission https://www.elec.nj.gov/publicinformation/gub_spendtotals.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20250624220958/https://www.elec.nj.gov/publicinformation/gub_spendtotals.htm 2025-06-24 2025-07-25 www.elec.nj.gov en Results Incumbent Governor Thomas Kean was unopposed in the Republican primary election. Republican primary resultshttps://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/1985/1985-primary-results-gov.pdf Candidates for the Office of Governor - State of New Jersey Secretary of State of New Jersey 1989 June 12, 2025 Thomas Kean (incumbent) Republican Party (United States) 151,259 100.00 151,259 100.00 Democratic primary Candidates Robert Del Tufo, former U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey Kenneth A. Gibson, mayor of Newark Elliot Greenspan, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Democratic Policy Committeehttps://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/16/nyregion/5th-democrat-in-race-for-governor-in-jersey.html 5th Democrat in Race For Governor in Jersey Associated Press The New York Times March 16, 1985 June 16, 2015 John F. Russo, state senator from Toms River and Senate majority leader Peter Shapiro, Essex County executive and former assemblyman Stephen B. Wiley, former state senator from Morris Township Declined James Florio, U.S. Representative from Camden and nominee for Governor in 1981 Campaign finance Primary campaign finance activityCandidateSpentPeter Shapiro$1,161,161John Russo$1,134,504Stephen B. Wiley$1,058,851Kenneth Gibson$987,835Robert Del Tufo$737,094Elliot Greenspan$600Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission Results Democratic Party primary results Peter Shapiro Democratic Party (United States) 101,243 31.02 John F. Russo Democratic Party (United States) 86,827 26.60 Kenneth A. Gibson Democratic Party (United States) 85,293 26.13 Stephen B. Wiley Democratic Party (United States) 27,914 8.55 Robert Del Tufo Democratic Party (United States) 19,742 6.05 Elliot Greenspan Democratic Party (United States) 5,834 1.65 326,403 100.00 General election Candidates George M. Fishman, retired social studies teacher (Communist)https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/03/nyregion/other-candidates-in-the-race-to-be-the-governor-of-jersey.html Other candidates in the race to be the Governor of Jersey Staff November 3, 1985 The New York Times June 16, 2015 Virginia Flynn, word processor and Universal Life Church minister (Libertarian) Rodger Headrick, real estate salesman (The True Light) Julius Levin, apartment manager (Socialist Labor) Thomas Kean, incumbent Governor since 1982 (Republican) Mark Satinoff, sheet metal worker (Socialist Workers) Peter Shapiro, Essex County Executive and former Assemblyman (Democratic) Campaign Kean was riding on high popularity ratings from voters on account of the good economic situation of the state in the 1980s including a surplus in the state budget.https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/05/nyregion/democrats-in-jersey-select-shapiro-to-face-kean-in-fall.html Democrats in Jersey select Shapiro to face Kean in fall June 5, 1985 The New York Times Sullivan, Joseph F. June 16, 2015 His efforts to aid depressed cities through Urban Enterprise Zones and reaching out to groups not typically associated with the Republicans including African Americans and labor unions led to endorsements from black ministers, Coretta Scott King,Norman Michael CORETTA KING, IN JERSEY, BACKS KEAN AS HE SEEKS THE SUPPORT OF BLACKS https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/26/nyregion/corretta-king-in-jersey-backs-kean-as-he-seeks-the-support-of-blacks.html 22 August 2019 The New York Times 26 October 1985 the AFL–CIO, and The New York Times.http://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal85-855-25692-1145659 1985 Elections: New Directions for Parties? 1986 41st CQ Almanac June 16, 2015https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/opinion/governor-kean-for-new-jersey.html Governor Kean for New Jersey NYT Editorial Board The New York Times October 29, 1985 June 16, 2015 Shapiro ran on a platform of reducing car insurance rates, the state's high property taxes, and improvement of the environment but his struggles of fundraising due to New Jersey being located in two expensive media markets (New York City and Philadelphia) and Kean's momentum left his campaign little-received. Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror PeterShapiro (D) TomKean (R) UndecidedStar-Ledger/EagletonStar-Ledger/EagletonSeptember 2025August 15–25, 1985586 RV±4.1% 13% 68% 19%Star-Ledger/EagletonSeptember 2025Sept. 29–Oct. 8, 1985982 LV±3.2% 16% 67% 17% Campaign finance General election campaign finance activityCandidateSpentTom Kean$2,254,971Peter Shapiro$1,980,213Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement CommissionNJ Election Law Enforcement Commission https://www.elec.nj.gov/publicinformation/gub_spendtotals.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20250624220958/https://www.elec.nj.gov/publicinformation/gub_spendtotals.htm 2025-06-24 2025-07-25 www.elec.nj.gov en Results New Jersey Gubernatorial Election, 1985http://www.njelections.org/election-results/1985-general-election-results-gov.pdf Votes Cast for the Office of Governor of the State of New Jersey Secretary of State of New Jersey 1985 June 16, 2015 Republican Party (United States) Thomas Kean (incumbent) 1,372,631 69.58% 20.12 Democratic Party (United States) Peter Shapiro 578,402 29.32% 20.06 Independent politician Rodger Headrick 8,537 0.43% N/A Libertarian Party (United States) Virginia Flynn 4,710 0.24% 0.14 Socialist Workers Party (United States) Mark Satinoff 3,703 0.19% 0.12 Socialist Labor Party of America Julius Levin 2,740 0.14% 0.05 Communist Party USA George M. Fishman 1,901 0.10% N/A 794,402 40.26% 1,972,624 Republican Party (United States) By county County Kean % Kean # Shapiro % Shapiro vo## Other % Other # Atlantic 69.1% 38,477 29.8% 16,611 1.1% 608 Bergen 71.5% 181,238 27.8% 70,525 0.6% 1,554 Burlington 68.7% 56,573 30.5% 25,078 0.9% 696 Camden 60.9% 70,374 38.1% 43,960 0.9% 1,173 Cape May 74.7% 23,331 24.5% 7,665 0.8% 239 Cumberland 66.4% 21,017 31.8% 10,065 1.8% 570 Essex 66.9% 121,685 31.2% 56,694 1.8% 3,383 Gloucester 63.6% 35,424 35.3% 19,662 1.2% 640 Hudson 65.1% 88,165 34.1% 46,195 0.8% 1,160 Hunterdon 75.4% 17,875 22.7% 5,388 1.9% 453 Mercer 63.2% 53,562 35.6% 30,212 1.2% 994 Middlesex 65.8% 113,020 33.1% 56,815 1.0% 1,804 Monmouth 72.9% 109,238 26.4% 39,529 0.7% 1,084 Morris 78.4% 85,189 21.0% 22,847 0.4% 566 Ocean 73.7% 90,670 25.1% 30,948 1.2% 1,455Passaic 69.8% 70,896 28.8% 29,263 1.4% 1,429 Salem 64.9% 12,376 33.7% 6,417 1.4% 270 Somerset 75.6% 44,502 23.1% 13,601 1.3% 761 Sussex 77.7% 22,109 21.1% 5,998 1.2% 346 Union 73.3% 102,411 25.1% 35,060 1.5% 2,187 Warren 70.4% 14,499 28.5% 5,869 1.0% 219 Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Burlington Camden Cumberland Essex Gloucester Hudson Mercer Middlesex Salem right 280px Swing by county 280px Trend by county Legend #09ceff Democratic—+20%−25% #4bdbff Democratic—+15%−20% #77e3ff Democratic—+10−15% #aaeeff Democratic—+5−10% #D5F6FF Democratic—+<5% #FFD5D5 Republican—+<5% #FFAAAA Republican—+5−10% #FF8080 Republican—+10−15% #FF5555 Republican—+15−20% #FF2A2A Republican—+20−25% #FF0000 Republican—+25−30% #D40000 Republican—+30–40% #b80000 Republican—+40–50% #990000 Republican—+>50% 280px County flips Legend Republican #f48882 Hold #ca0120 Flip Notes References 2 External links U.S. Election Atlas October 28 analysis of the race by Prof. Cliff Zukin of the Eagleton Institute of Politics 1985 Gubernatorial New Jersey Category:November 1985 in the United States