2000 United States presidential election in New Jersey

In 2000, the United States presidential election in New Jersey, along with every U.S. state and Washington, D.C., took place on November 7, 2000 as part of the 2000 United States presidential election. The major party candidates were Democratic Vice President Al Gore of the incumbent administration and Republican Governor of Texas George W. Bush, son of the 41st U.S. president, George H. W. Bush. Owing to the indirect system of voting used in U.S. presidential elections, George W. Bush narrowly defeated Gore in Electoral College votes despite that Gore earned a higher percentage of the popular vote. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, the only third-party candidate represented on most states' ballots, came in a distant third.

2000 United States presidential election in New Jersey

November 7, 2000
 
Nominee Al Gore George W. Bush
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Tennessee Texas
Running mate Joe Lieberman Dick Cheney
Electoral vote 15 0
Popular vote 1,788,850 1,284,173
Percentage 56.13% 40.29%

County Results

President before election

Bill Clinton
Democratic

Elected President

George W. Bush
Republican

Although New Jersey had voted for Democrat Bill Clinton in the past two elections (1992 and 1996),[1] it was considered a potential swing state in 2000 because pre-election polling data showed it to be a close race.[2][3] Al Gore won 56% of NJ's popular vote, beating out George W. Bush by about a 16% margin, which guaranteed NJ's 15 slots in the Electoral College to the Democratic Party. Gore won 11 of NJ's 13 congressional districts, with the biggest margins of victory in Essex County and Hudson County where he won over 70% of the vote. Bush won 7 counties with his biggest margins being just over 57% in Hunterdon County and Sussex County. Nader got over 4% of the vote in counties in the northwest of the state, while taking 3% statewide.[4] This was also the first presidential election since 1976, in which New Jersey would back the losing candidate as well. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Monmouth County voted for the Democratic candidate.

Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Bergen County since Benjamin Harrison in 1888.

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Al
Gore (D)
George W.
Bush (R)
Ralph
Nader (G)
Patrick
Buchanan (Ref)
Undecided
The New York Times October 12–15, 2000 908 RV ± 3% 49% 34% 8% 1% 8%

General Election

Results

2000 United States presidential election in New Jersey[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Al Gore 1,788,850 56.13% 15
Republican George W. Bush 1,284,173 40.29% 0
Green Ralph Nader 94,554 2.97% 0
Reform Pat Buchanan 6,989 0.22% 0
Libertarian Harry Browne 6,312 0.20% 0
Natural Law John Hagelin 2,215 0.07% 0
Socialist David McReynolds 1,880 0.06% 0
Constitution Howard Phillips 1,409 0.04% 0
Socialist Workers James Harris 844 0.03% 0
Totals 3,187,226 100.00% 15
Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 50%/68%

Results by county

County Gore votes Gore % Bush votes Bush % Other votes Other %
Atlantic52,88058.0%35,59339.1%2,6292.9%
Bergen202,68255.3%152,73141.7%11,3083.1%
Burlington99,50656.1%72,25440.7%5,7813.3%
Camden127,16664.6%62,46431.7%7,2313.7%
Cape May22,18946.6%23,79450.0%1,6113.4%
Cumberland28,18857.9%18,88238.8%1,6143.3%
Essex185,50571.5%66,84225.8%7,2262.8%
Gloucester61,09556.9%42,31539.4%2,8883.6%
Hudson118,20670.6%43,80426.2%5,3513.2%
Hunterdon21,38737.9%32,21057.1%2,8585.1%
Mercer83,25661.4%46,67034.4%5,6334.2%
Middlesex154,99859.9%93,54536.1%10,3064.0%
Monmouth131,47650.2%119,29145.5%11,3744.3%
Morris88,03942.6%111,06653.8%7,4033.6%
Ocean102,10447.2%105,68448.8%8,6054.0%
Passaic90,32457.7%61,04339.0%5,2063.3%
Salem13,71850.9%12,25745.4%9973.7%
Somerset56,23246.7%59,72549.6%4,4203.7%
Sussex21,35337.1%33,27757.9%2,8605.0%
Union112,00360.1%68,55436.8%5,8163.1%
Warren16,54340.6%22,17254.3%2,0865.1%

By congressional district

Gore won 11 of 13 congressional districts, including four that elected Republican representatives.[6]

District Gore Bush Representative
1st 64% 33% Rob Andrews
2nd 55% 43% Frank LoBiondo
3rd 54% 43% H. James Saxton
4th 52% 45% Chris Smith
5th 45% 52% Marge Roukema
6th 58% 38% Frank Pallone, Jr.
7th 54% 43% Bob Franks
Mike Ferguson
8th 61% 36% Bill Pascrell
9th 63% 34% Steve Rothman
10th 85% 14% Donald Payne
11th 43% 54% Rodney Frelinghuysen
12th 51% 46% Rush D. Holt, Jr.
13th 72% 25% Bob Menendez

Electors

Technically the voters of NJ cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. NJ is allocated 15 electors because it has 13 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 15 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 15 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000[7] to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Gore and Lieberman:[8]

  • Paul M. Bangiola
  • Angelo R. Bianchi
  • Mamie Bridgeforth
  • Dennis P. Collins
  • John Garrett
  • Deborah Lynch
  • Patricia McCullough
  • John McGreevey
  • June B. Montag
  • Jeffrey L. Nash
  • Barbara A. Plumeri
  • Julia Valdivia
  • Stephen S. Weinstein
  • Charles Wowkanech

See also

References

  1. "New Jersey Elected Officials Lookup". 270toWin.com. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  2. Jacobs, Andrew (August 19, 2000), "The 2000 Campaign: The Impressions -- New Jersey; In a Swing State, Cheers and Doubts", The New York Times, retrieved December 1, 2016
  3. Marks, Peter (July 23, 2000), "July 16-22; Making Margin Calls in a Tightening Race", The New York Times, retrieved December 1, 2016
  4. Leip, Dave (n.d.), "2016 Presidential General Election Results", Atlas of the U.S. Presidential Elections, retrieved December 1, 2016
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=2000&fips=34&f=0&off=0&elect=0&datatype=cd&def=1
  7. Leip, Dave (n.d.), "2000 Events Timeline - Post-Election", Atlas of the U.S. Presidential Elections, retrieved December 1, 2016
  8. Whitson, James R. (n.d.), "Overview of the 2000 Election", President Elect, archived from the original on February 12, 2012, retrieved December 1, 2016
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