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1959 New Jersey Senate election

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The 1959 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 3.

1959 New Jersey Senate elections
← 1957 November 3, 1959 1961 →
12 of the 21 seats in the New Jersey State Senate
11 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Joseph W. Cowgill
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat Camden
Last election 13 8
Seats before 12 7
Seats won 11 10
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 3
Seats up 5 6
Races won 9 2
Senate President before election


Republican

Elected Senate President


Republican

The elections took place midway through the second term of Governor Robert Meyner. Eleven of New Jersey's 21 counties held regular elections for Senator; Cumberland County also held a special election to complete the unexpired term of W. Howard Sharp, who died in December 1958.[1]

Democrats gained three seats (including the vacant seat in Cumberland) and nearly won control of the New Jersey Senate for the first time since 1915; only 567 votes separated victorious Republican Robert C. Crane and Democrat H. Roy Wheeler in Union County.

Incumbents not running for re-election

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All ten incumbents ran for re-election.

Summary of results by county

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County Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
Atlantic Frank S. Farley Rep No election
Bergen Walter H. Jones Rep No election
Burlington Albert McCay Rep Henry S. Haines Dem
Camden Joseph W. Cowgill Dem Joseph W. Cowgill Dem
Cape May Charles W. Sandman Rep Charles W. Sandman Rep
Cumberland Vacant[a] Robert H. Weber Dem
Essex Donal C. Fox Dem Donal C. Fox Dem
Gloucester Vacant[b] Thomas F. Connery Jr. Dem
Hudson William F. Kelly Jr. Dem No election
Hunterdon Wesley Lance Rep No election
Mercer Sido Ridolfi Dem No election
Middlesex John A. Lynch Dem John A. Lynch Dem
Monmouth Richard R. Stout Rep Richard R. Stout Rep
Morris Thomas J. Hillery Rep No election
Ocean W. Steelman Mathis Rep No election
Passaic Anthony J. Grossi Dem No election
Salem John A. Waddington Dem John A. Waddington Dem
Somerset William E. Ozzard[c] Rep William E. Ozzard Rep
Sussex George B. Harper Rep No election
Union Robert C. Crane[d] Rep Robert C. Crane Rep
Warren Wayne Dumont Rep Wayne Dumont Rep
  1. ^ This seat was vacant following the December 1958 death of Senator W. Howard Sharp.
  2. ^ This seat was vacant following the May 1959 resignation of Senator Harold W. Hannold.
  3. ^ Ozzard won a 1958 special election to complete the unexpired term of Senator Malcolm Forbes, who resigned.
  4. ^ Crane won a 1956 special election to complete the unexpired term of Senator Kenneth Hand, who resigned to become a Superior Court judge.

Close races

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Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

  1. Union, 0.34%
  2. Gloucester, 1.54%
  3. Camden, 3.44%
  4. Essex, 5.88%
  5. Burlington, 8.26% gain

Burlington

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Henry S. Haines 30,183 54.13%
Republican Albert McCay (incumbent) 25,575 45.87%
Total votes 55,758 100.0%

Camden

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joseph W. Cowgill (incumbent) 61,656 51.72%
Republican William G. Rohrer 57,564 48.28%
Total votes 119,220 100.0%

Cape May

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Charles W. Sandman (incumbent) 12,206 61.38%
Democratic Fred C. Barthelmess 7,679 38.62%
Total votes 19,885 100.0%

Cumberland (special)

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Robert H. Weber 17,419 56.10%
Republican Robert G. Howell 13,631 43.90%
Total votes 31,050 100.0%

Essex

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Donal C. Fox (incumbent) 126,800 51.11%
Republican Alfred C. Clapp 112,218 45.23%
Independent Anthony D. Scipio 7,426 2.99%
Independent Frank DeGeorge 1,643 0.66%
Total votes 248,087 100.0%

Gloucester

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Thomas F. Connery Jr. 23,665 50.77%
Republican John Joseph Kitchen 22,943 49.23%
Total votes 46,608 100.0%

Middlesex

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John A. Lynch (incumbent) 86,880 64.30%
Republican Fred S. Brause 48,231 35.70%
Total votes 135,111 100.0%

Monmouth

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Richard R. Stout (incumbent) 54,946 57.79%
Democratic Thomas J. Smith 40,125 42.21%
Total votes 95,071 100.0%

Salem

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John A. Waddington (incumbent) 12,215 59.92%
Republican Peter B. Hoff 8,172 40.08%
Total votes 20,387 100.0%

Somerset

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican William E. Ozzard (incumbent) 24,120 57.03%
Democratic William H. Sutherland 18,175 42.97%
Total votes 42,295 100.0%

Union

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Robert C. Crane (incumbent) 82,609 49.61%
Democratic H. Roy Wheeler 82,042 49.27%
Independent Frank Chodorov 1,862 1.12%
Total votes 166,513 100.0%

Warren

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1959 general election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Wayne Dumont (incumbent) 13,366 56.73%
Democratic Thomas C. Swick 10,194 43.27%
Total votes 23,560 100.0%

References

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  1. ^ "W. HOWARD SHARP, LEGISLATOR, DEAD; Jersey State Senator, a Democrat, Had Served as Common Pleas Judge". The New York Times. 18 Dec 1958. p. G2. Retrieved 15 Aug 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Results of the General Election Held November 3rd, 1959" (PDF). Robert J. Burkhardt, New Jersey Secretary of State.
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