2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey

The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg decided to retire, rather than seeking a fourth term. The Democratic nominee, former CEO of Goldman Sachs Jon Corzine, defeated the Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Bob Franks, in a close election.

2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey
November 7, 2000
 
Nominee Jon Corzine Bob Franks
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,511,237 1,420,267
Percentage 50.1% 47.1%
County results
Corzine:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Franks:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Frank Lautenberg
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Jon Corzine
Democratic

Elections in New Jersey
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State government
General elections
Gubernatorial elections
Senate elections
General Assembly elections
Newark
Mayoral elections
Jersey City
Mayoral elections
Hoboken
Mayoral elections
Atlantic City
Mayoral elections

Background

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg was first elected to the Senate in 1982 in an upset victory over Rep. Millicent Fenwick. In his two re-election bids, Lautenberg had always been an underdog . He beat Pete Dawkins in 1988 by a 54%-46% margin and held back a challenge from Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian by a smaller margin of 50%-47%.

However, popular Governor Christine Todd Whitman was expected to challenge Lautenberg and opinion polls showed Lautenberg losing by a large margin. Lautenberg retired in 2000, but later regretted his decision because both Whitman and former Governor Tom Kean both declined to run for the Senate. Lautenberg would be elected to New Jersey's other Senate seat in 2002 after his colleague Senator Robert Torricelli resigned in disgrace.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 James
Florio		 Jon
Corzine		 Undecided
Quinnipiac February 16–21, 2000 374 RV ± 5.1% 57% 22% 21%
Quinnipiac March 21–27, 2000 400 RV ± 4.9% 50% 26% 24%
Quinnipiac May 1–8, 2000 347 RV ± 5.3% 33% 48% 19%
Quinnipiac May 17–23, 2000 371 LV ± 5.1% 30% 56% 14%

Campaign

Corzine spent $35 million of his fortunes into this primary election alone.[1][2]

Governor Florio was unpopular during his tenure in office. He he signed a $2.8 Billion tax increase in 1990, which resulted in Republicans winning control of the legislature in 1991, and his reelection loss in the 1993 gubernatorial election to Christine Todd Whitman.

Endorsements

Corzine was endorsed by State Senators Raymond Zane, Wayne Bryant, and John Adler. He was also endorsed by U.S. Representative Bob Menendez and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.

Florio was endorsed by the New Jersey Democratic Party, Assemblyman Joseph Doria and State Senator John A. Lynch Jr..

Results
2000 Democratic Senate primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jon Corzine 251,216 57.96%
Democratic James Florio 182,212 42.04%
Total votes 433,428 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Steve
Forbes		 Murray
Sabrin		 Bob
Franks		 James
Treffinger		 William
Gormley		 Brian
Kennedy		 Undecided
Quinnipiac February 16–21, 2000 307 RV ± 5.6% 33% 4% 8% 5% 10% - 40%
Quinnipiac March 21–27, 2000 348 RV ± 5.3% - 5% 14% 7% 9% 6% 59%
Quinnipiac May 1–8, 2000 311 RV ± 5.6% - 5% 18% 8% 14% - 55%

Results
2000 New Jersey U.S. Senate Republican primary election[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Franks 98,370 35.7
Republican William Gormley 94,010 34.1
Republican James W. Treffinger 48,674 17.7
Republican Murray Sabrin 34,629 12.6

General election

Major

Minor
  • Bruce Afran (Green)
  • Dennis A. Breen (Independent)
  • J.M. Carter (Trust In God)
  • Pat DiNizio (Reform)
  • Emerson Ellett (Libertarian)
  • George Gostigian (God Bless NJ)
  • Lorraine LaNeve (Conservative)
  • Gregory Pason (Socialist)
  • Nancy Rosenstock (Socialist Workers)

Campaign

Franks, a moderate Republican,[5] attacked Corzine for "trying to buy the election and of advocating big-government spending programs that the nation can ill afford." Corzine accused Franks of wanting to "dismantle" the Social Security system because he supported Governor George W. Bush's partial privatization plan.[6]

During the campaign, Corzine refused to release his income tax return records. He claimed an interest in doing so, but he cited a confidentiality agreement with Goldman Sachs. Skeptics argued that he should have followed the example of his predecessor Robert Rubin, who converted his equity stake into debt upon leaving Goldman.[7]

Corzine campaigned for state government programs including universal health care, universal gun registration, mandatory public preschool, and more taxpayer funding for college education.[8][9] He pushed affirmative action and same-sex marriage.[10] David Brooks considered Corzine so liberal that although his predecessor was also a Democrat, his election helped shift the Senate to the left.[11]

During Corzine's campaign for the United States Senate, he made some controversial off-color statements. When introduced to a man with an Italian name who said he was in the construction business, Corzine quipped: "Oh, you make cement shoes!" according to Emanuel Alfano, chairman of the Italian-American One Voice Committee. Alfano also reported that when introduced to a lawyer named David Stein, Corzine said: "He's not Italian, is he? Oh, I guess he's your Jewish lawyer who is here to get the rest of you out of jail."[12] Corzine denied mentioning religion, but did not deny the quip about Italians, claiming that some of his own ancestors were probably Italian,[13] or maybe French.[14]

Some alleged that Corzine had exchanged endorsements from black ministers for donations, after a foundation controlled by him and his wife donated $25,000 to an influential black church.[15] Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, the director of the Black Ministers Council, and a notable advocate against racial profiling against minority drivers in traffic stops, was criticized for endorsing Corzine after receiving a large donation from the then candidate.[16]

Franks generally trailed Corzine in the polls until the final week, when he pulled even in a few polls. Corzine spent $63 million, while Franks spent only $6 million.[17] Despite being heavily outspent, Franks lost by only three percentage points, doing better that year than Republican Governor George W. Bush in the presidential election, who obtained just 40% of the vote in the state.[18]

Debates

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Jon
Corzine (D)		 Bob
Franks (R)		 Undecided
Quinnipiac June 20–26, 2000 1,004 RV ± 3.1% 46% 26% 28%
Quinnipiac July 19–24, 2000 910 RV ± 3.3% 50% 30% 20%
Quinnipiac August 18–22, 2000 802 RV ± 3.5% 43% 35% 22%
Quinnipiac September 26 – October 1, 2000 820 LV ± 3.4% 48% 34% 18%
The New York Times October 12–15, 2000 LV ± 3% 45% 33% 22%
Quinnipiac October 18–23, 2000 909 LV ± 3.3% 46% 41% 13%
Quinnipiac October 24–30, 2000 793 LV ± 3.5% 47% 39% 14%
Quinnipiac November 1–5, 2000 770 LV ± 3.4% 43% 45% 12%

Results
General election results[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jon Corzine 1,511,237 50.11% -.18%
Republican Bob Franks 1,420,267 47.10% +.08%
Green Bruce Afran 32,841 1.09% N/A
Reform Pat DiNizio 19,312 0.64% N/A
Libertarian Emerson Ellett 7,241 0.24% +.44%
Independent Dennis A. Breen 6,061 0.20% N/A
Trust in God J.M. Carter 5,657 0.19% N/A
Conservative Lorraine LaNeve 3,836 0.13% N/A
Socialist Gregory Pason 3,365 0.11% -.35%
Socialist Workers Nancy Rosenstock 3,309 0.11% -.07%
God Bless Jersey George Gostigian 2,536 0.08% N/A
Majority 90,970 3.01% -.26%
Total votes '3,015,662' '100.0%' N/A
Democratic hold

See also

References
  1. Halbfinger, David M. (October 13, 2000). "Franks Accuses Corzine of Trying To Buy His Way Into Senate Seat". The New York Times.
  2. "Franks and Corzine Debate Race, Education and Disclosure". The New York Times. October 13, 2000.
  3. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=18313
  4. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=13740
  5. http://diplomatdc.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/former-rep-bob-franks-dies-at-58-lost-u-s-senate-race-but-ideas-triumphed-by-gregory-hilton/
  6. "Franks Accuses Corzine of Trying To Buy His Way Into Senate Seat". The New York Times. October 13, 2000.
  7. "The High Price Of Chutzpah: Cheney And Corzine May Be Pushing The Ethical Envelope On Conflict-Of-Interest Rules. That's More Than Daring—It's -Just Plain Galling". Newsweek. Newsweek, Inc. August 28, 2000. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  8. Derer, Mike (June 7, 2000). "Who Wants to Vote for a Multimillionaire?". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  9. Morse, Jodie; Nadya Labi; Michel Orecklin (November 20, 2000). "New Faces In The Senate". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  10. Hosenball, Mark (June 12, 2000). "The New Jersey Purchase: Jon Corzine's $36 Million Campaign For The Senate". Newsweek. Newsweek, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  11. Brooks, David (December 25, 2000). "Surviving The Coming Clash: With The Left Feeling Frisky, Conservatives Need To Watch Their Step If They Want To Have Their Way. It's Time To Be Patient". Newsweek. Newsweek, Inc. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  12. Halbfinger, David M. (March 30, 2000). "Corzine Assailed for Joke About Italian-Americans". New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  13. Adubato, Steve. "Good Faith Politics". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  14. Peterson, Iver (April 9, 2000). "Around Jon Corzine's Roots, a Casual Indifference to Ethnicity". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  15. Ingle pp. 62–63.
  16. Jacob, Andrew (September 20, 2000). "Black Minister Criticized for Taking Corzine's Money". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  17. Cardwell, Diane (April 10, 2010). "Robert Franks, Former New Jersey Congressman, Dies". The New York Times.
  18. Newman, Maria (November 10, 2000). "After His Defeat, Franks Looks to the Future". The New York Times.
  19. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2000/2000Stat.htm
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