1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The 1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1954. Republican U.S Representative Clifford P. Case defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Charles R. Howell with 48.66% of the vote.
.png.webp){kind=small} | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 County Results Case: 40–50% 50-60% 60-70% Howell: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg.webp)
| Elections in New Jersey |
|---|
 |
This election was decided by the fewest votes (3,507) and narrowest percentage margin (0.19%) in New Jersey history.
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- Clifford P. Case, Republican
- Charles R. Howell, Democratic
Other candidates
- George Breitman, Socialist Workers
- Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (write-in), former U.S. Representative
- Henry J. Krajewski
- Albert Ronis, Socialist Labor
Campaign
During the campaign, Case openly criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, and pledged to vote against seating McCarthy on any committee with investigative functions.[1] McCarthy's supporters called him "a pro-Communist Republicrat" and "Stalin's choice for Senator."[2] The Star-Ledger quoted former Communist Party leader Bella Dodd as saying that Case's sister Adelaide was "an active member of several Communist front groups." It was later revealed, however, that the Adelaide Case in question was not the candidate's sister but a college professor who had died in 1948.[3][4] A conservative faction within the Republican Party unsuccessfully attempted to force Case off the ballot, also proposing a write-in campaign for former U.S. Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr., co-author of the Taft-Hartley Act.[5] Case was endorsed by President Eisenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon.[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Clifford P. Case | 861,528 | 48.66% | ||
| Democratic | Charles R. Howell | 858,158 | 48.47% | ||
| Independent | Henry J. Krajewski | 35,421 | 2.00% | ||
| Independent | Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (write-in) | 7,025 | 0.40% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Albert Ronis | 4,832 | 0.27% | ||
| Socialist Workers | George Breitman | 3,590 | 0.20% | ||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
- Current Biography. H.W. Wilson Company. 1956.
- McFadden, Robert D. (1982-03-07). "Ex-Senator Clifford P. Case, 77, Is Dead". The New York Times.
- Back in the Gutter". Time, October 25, 1954. Accessed June 8, 2008.
- "McCarthyism's Effects In New Jersey". The New York Times, June 28, 1992. Accessed June 8, 2008.
- "New Jersey: A Political Microcosm". TIME. 1954-10-18.
- "Clifford P. Case II". Rutgers University.
- "NJ US Senate". Retrieved 26 Feb 2020.