2012 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The 2012 United States Senate election in New Jersey took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Menendez won re-election to a second full term. He was the first Democratic Senate candidate to carry Somerset County since Bill Bradley in 1984.
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 County results Menendez: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kyrillos: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in New Jersey |
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This was the first time since 1976 that a candidate for this seat received over 55% of the vote.
Background
Bob Menendez became the first Hispanic-American U.S. senator to represent New Jersey in January 2006 when former U.S. senator Jon Corzine appointed him to the seat after having resigned to become governor of New Jersey, following his election in November 2005.[1] In November 2006, after a tough and painful election, Menendez defeated Republican state senator Thomas Kean, Jr. with 53.3% of the vote.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Bob Menendez, incumbent U.S. Senator[2]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bob Menendez |
Someone else |
Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | March 5–11, 2012 | 404 | ±5.0% | 30% | 37% | 33% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Menendez (incumbent) | 235,321 | 100 | |
| Total votes | 235,321 | 100 | ||
Republican primary
Declared
- David Brown, inventor[4]
- Joe Kyrillos, State Senator[5]
- Bader Qarmout, businessman and adjunct professor at the County College of Morris[6]
- Joseph Rudy Rullo, businessman[7]
Withdrew
Declined
- Diane Allen, state senator, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and former news broadcaster[10]
- Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey and former U.S. Attorney[11][12]
- John Crowley, biotechnology executive[13]
- Michael Doherty, state senator[14]
- Tim Smith, financial services firm executive and member of the Roxbury Township Council[15]
- Jay Webber, State Assemblyman and former New Jersey Republican State Committee chairman[16][17]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Michael Doherty |
Kim Guadagno |
Woody Johnson |
Tom Kean Jr. |
Joseph Kyrillos |
Anna Little |
Tim Smith |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | July 15–18, 2011 | 300 | ±5.7% | 7% | 10% | 9% | 36% | 3% | 4% | 2% | — | 30% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joseph Kyrillos | 161,146 | 77.1 | |
| Republican | David Brown | 18,671 | 8.9 | |
| Republican | Joseph Rullo | 16,690 | 8.0 | |
| Republican | Bader Qarmout | 12,637 | 6.0 | |
| Total votes | 209,144 | 100% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Bob Menendez (Democratic), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Joe Kyrillos (Republican), state senator
- Inder "Andy" Soni (America First)
- Ken Wolski (Green), medical marijuana activist and former nurse[18]
- Gwen Diakos (Jersey Strong Independents), civilian defense contractor[4][19]
- Kenneth R. Kaplan (Libertarian), commercial real estate broker[20]
- Eugene Martin LaVergne (Independent)
- Daryl Mikell Brooks (Reform Nation), activist
- Robert "Turk" Turkavage (Responsibility Fairness Integrity), former FBI agent
- Greg Pason (Socialist), National Secretary of the Socialist Party USA and perennial candidate[21]
- J. David Dranikoff (Totally Independent Candidate), businessman
Debates
Three debates were scheduled. The first debate took place on October 4, 2012, at Montclair State University. Menendez and Kyrillos participated. The second took place on October 10 at NJ 101.5 studios, Trenton NJ[22] The third was to take place on October 17 at Mercer County Community College[23]
- External links
- Complete video of debate, October 4, 2012 - C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, October 13, 2012 - C-SPAN
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Menendez (D) | $10,243,864 | $2,325,178 | $10,345,365 | $0 |
| Joseph Kyrillos (R) | $3,106,536 | $1,132,232 | $1,974,302 | $50,236 |
| Kenneth R. Kaplan (L) | $800 | $0 | $800 | $0 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[24][25][26] | ||||
Top contributors
| Bob Menendez | Contribution | Joseph Kyrillos | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowenstein Sandler | $116,160 | McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP | $133,098 |
| Greenberg Traurig | $78,250 | Allied Management Inc | $22,000 |
| NORPAC | $70,550 | Connell Foley | $18,250 |
| Prudential Financial | $66,800 | Maser Consulting | $17,250 |
| DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole | $48,150 | B&L Tire | $15,000 |
| Kindred Healthcare | $48,000 | Berkeley College | $15,000 |
| Verizon Communications | $47,050 | CJ Hesse | $15,000 |
| Medco Health Solutions | $41,249 | GlobalTel | $15,000 |
| DLA Piper | $41,000 | Langer Transport Corp | $15,000 |
| Dade Medical College | $40,000 | Fgi Finance | $14,000 |
Top industries
| Bob Menendez | Contribution | Joe Kyrillos | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $1,633,843 | Lawyers/Law Firms | $312,845 |
| Real Estate | $1,096,684 | Retired | $103,900 |
| Lobbyists | $578,182 | Financial Institutions | $98,200 |
| Financial Institutions | $532,651 | Real Estate | $98,150 |
| Health Professionals | $524,810 | Health Professionals | $62,100 |
| Retired | $411,525 | Business Services | $60,250 |
| Construction Services | $388,550 | Construction Services | $54,300 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $353,250 | Universities | $51,250 |
| Insurance | $338,550 | General Contractors | $39,500 |
| Leadership PACs | $328,244 | Misc Business | $38,550 |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[29] | Likely D | November 1, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[31] | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics[32] | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bob Menendez (D) |
Joseph Kyrillos (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | January 3–9, 2011 | 802 | ±3.5% | 41% | 29% | — | 30% |
| Public Policy Polling | July 15–18, 2011 | 480 | ±4.5% | 48% | 29% | — | 23% |
| Farleigh Dickinson University | September 19–25, 2011 | 800 | ±3.5% | 49% | 28% | — | 22% |
| Farleigh Dickinson University | January 2–8, 2012 | 800 | ±3.5% | 43% | 31% | — | 26% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton | February 9–11, 2012 | 914 | ±3.3% | 44% | 22% | 1% | 26% |
| Survey USA | February 24–26, 2012 | 533 | ±4.3% | 46% | 31% | — | 23% |
| Quinnipiac | February 21–27, 2012 | 1,396 | ±2.6% | 49% | 34% | 1% | 14% |
| Farleigh Dickinson University | March 5–11, 2012 | 396 | ±2.6% | 43% | 33% | — | 23% |
| Quinnipiac | April 3–9, 2012 | 1,607 | ±2.4% | 44% | 35% | 1% | 20% |
| Fairleigh Dickenson/PublicMind | April 30 – May 6, 2012 | 400 | ±5% | 42% | 33% | — | 24% |
| Quinnipiac | May 9–14, 2012 | 1,582 | ±2.5% | 45% | 35% | 2% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac | July 9–14, 2012 | 1,623 | ±2.5% | 47% | 34% | 1% | 16% |
| Monmouth University | July 18–22, 2012 | 535 LV | ±2.5% | 44% | 35% | 1% | 19% |
| Monmouth University | July 23–27, 2012 | 849 RV | ±2.5% | 45% | 33% | 1% | 22% |
| Rutgers-Eagleton | August 23–25, 2012 | 688 LV | ±3.7% | 47% | 35% | 8% | 10% |
| Quinnipaic University | August 27 – September 2, 2012 | 1,471 LV | ±2.5% | 50% | 40% | — | 10% |
| Quinnipaic University | September 6–12, 2012 | 706 LV | ±2.5% | 50% | 36% | — | 16% |
| Philadelphia Inquirer | September 9–12, 2012 | 600 LV | ±2.5% | 43% | 32% | — | 12% |
| Monmouth University | September 19–23, 2012 | 613 LV | ±2.5% | 49% | 34% | — | 15% |
| Philadelphia Inquirer | October 4–8, 2012 | 604 LV | ±4% | 49% | 35% | — | 15% |
| Quinnipiac | October 10–14, 2012 | 1,319 LV | ±2.7% | 55% | 37% | — | 15% |
| Stockton | October 12–18, 2012 | 811 LV | ±3.5% | 52% | 30% | — | 18% |
| SurveyUSA | October 17–18, 2012 | 577 LV | ±4.2% | 53% | 33% | 5% | 9% |
| Philadelphia Inquirer | October 23–25, 2012 | 601 LV | ±4% | 50% | 32% | — | 18% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Menendez (incumbent) | 1,987,680 | 58.87% | +5.50% | |
| Republican | Joseph Kyrillos | 1,329,534 | 39.37% | -4.97% | |
| Libertarian | Kenneth R. Kaplan | 16,803 | 0.50% | -0.15% | |
| Green | Ken Wolski | 15,801 | 0.47% | N/A | |
| Independent | Gwen Diakos | 9,359 | 0.28% | N/A | |
| Independent | J. David Dranikoff | 3,834 | 0.11% | N/A | |
| Independent | Inder "Andy" Soni | 3,593 | 0.11% | N/A | |
| Independent | Robert "Turk" Turkavage | 3,532 | 0.10% | N/A | |
| Socialist | Greg Pason | 2,249 | 0.07% | -0.04% | |
| Independent | Eugene M. LaVergne | 2,198 | 0.07% | N/A | |
| Independent | Daryl Brooks | 2,066 | 0.06% | -0.17% | |
| Total votes | '3,376,649' | '100.0%' | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
References
- Chen, David W. (December 8, 2005). "Corzine Is Said to Have Picked a Replacement". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- Menendez for Senate 2012
- Symons, Michael (April 10, 2012). "Menendez unopposed in Senate primary after rival rejected". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- Friedman, Matt (January 19, 2012). "N.J. Sen. Joseph Kyrillos to seek U.S. Senate seat". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- Jennings, Rob (February 15, 2012). "Local man launches bid for U.S. Senate". New Jersey Herald. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- Portnoy, Jenna (February 16, 2012). "Gov. Christie makes campaign appearance for N.J. Sen. Joe Kyrillos' U.S. Senate bid". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
- Pizarro, Max (September 21, 2011). "Linker ends his conservative bid for the U.S. Senate". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
- "Winners and Losers: Conventions Edition". Politicker NJ. March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- Sen. Diane Allen on lessons from the campaign trail | NJ.com
- Greenbaum, Mark (November 30, 2010). "Opinion: Will Christie wage battle to defeat Menendez in 2012?". The Record. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- Margolin, Josh (November 3, 2010). "Gov. Christie, U.S. Sen. Menendez expected to clash in long-awaited N.J. political battle". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- "Crowley Won't Run For Senate - Hotline On Call". Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- Pizarro, Max (February 10, 2012). "Doherty formally backs Kyrillos for Senate". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- "Field is clearing for Kyrillos run for U.S. Senate". The Star-Ledger. December 18, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- D'Aprile, Shane (December 12, 2010). "New Jersey GOP lacking a name to face a more vulnerable Menendez". The Hill. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- Friedman, Matt (January 5, 2011). "N.J. Assemblyman Jay Webber resigns as Republican state chairman". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- "NJ Greens Pick Ken Wolski as Candidate for U.S. Senate". Atlantic Highlands Herald. March 13, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- Isherwood, Darryl R. (October 6, 2011). "Tinton Falls resident to challenge Menendez in primary". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
- "Ken Kaplan for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- "Socialist Party MOC Nominates Pat Noble for Red Bank Board of Education". Socialist Party of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. February 16, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
- "NJ 101.5 to Host US Senate Debate". September 17, 2012.
- "NJ U.S. Senate Debate Planned". October 5, 2012.
- Menendez Campaign Finances
- Kyrillos Campaign Finances
- R. Kaplan
- [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.php?cycle=2012&id=NJS1 Center for Responsive Politics
- Contributors by Industry (opensecrets.org)
- "2012 Senate Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2012". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "Official List Candidates for US Senate - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/06/2012" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. December 6, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
External links
- New Jersey Division of Elections
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Outside spending at Sunlight Foundation
- Candidate issue positions at On the Issues
- Official campaign websites (Archived)
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