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1982 United States Senate election in New Jersey

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The 1982 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1982.

1982 United States Senate election in New Jersey
← 1976 November 2, 1982 1988 →
 
Nominee Frank Lautenberg Millicent Fenwick
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,117,549 1,047,626
Percentage 50.94% 47.75%
Lautenberg:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Fenwick:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Nicholas F. Brady
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Frank Lautenberg
Democratic

The seat was effectively vacated by the resignation of Harrison Williams amid scandal in March; his appointed successor, Nicholas F. Brady, did not run.

Democratic businessman Frank Lautenberg won the seat in a major upset, defeating a large field of eight Democratic candidates and Republican Millicent Fenwick, a popular, well-known U.S. Representative. Lautenberg's campaign was largely self-funded and overcame early polling leads for Fenwick by outspending her 2-to-1 and emphasizing the persistently poor economic conditions under Republican President Ronald Reagan and the conservative Congress.

Background

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The seat had been occupied by Democrat Harrison A. Williams, who resigned on March 11, 1982, after being implicated in the Abscam scandal. After Williams' resignation, Republican Governor Thomas Kean appointed Republican Nicholas F. Brady to the seat. Brady served in the Senate through the primary and general elections but did not run for the seat himself.

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Withdrew

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  • Robert J. Morris, anti-communist activist and candidate in 1960[1] (withdrew May 8 and remained neutral)[2]

Declined

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Campaign

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Fenwick, an extremely popular Congresswoman, centered much of her primary campaign on her electability, name recognition, and ability to win down-ballot races for local Republican candidates.[2] Bell framed himself as a strong supporter, or even architect, of President Reagan's economic platform, blaming the Federal Reserve Board's high interest rates for slow economic growth.[1] Fenwick instead blamed the large federal budget deficit and called for cuts to public works spending, while preserving social services.[1] The New York Times therefore framed the race as a referendum on the Reagan administration's economic policies. Bell himself admitted, "If I lose, I think a lot of obituaries are going to be written for Reaganomics."[4] Bell's campaign may have been undercut when President Reagan blamed the federal budget deficit for high inflation, thereby endorsing Fenwick's economic platform, though not the candidate herself.[5]

Both Bell and Fenwick supported a freeze on nuclear weapons contingent on the United States surpassing the Soviet Union's arsenal, while Morris opposed a de jure freeze, arguing that a de facto freeze already existed. Morris also supported a sharp increase in military spending to deter Soviet expansion into the Middle East and Western Hemisphere and proposed American intervention in the Falklands War to force both Argentina and the United Kingdom to withdraw, citing the Monroe Doctrine.[1] He also challenged New York City mayor Ed Koch, then running for Governor, to swim from Manhattan to the Jersey shore to bring attention to pollution.[2]

After the first debate, Morris withdrew from the race, saying that he had made his point and did not have the funding to continue.[2] Though he chose to remain neutral, his withdrawal was seen to benefit Bell, a fellow conservative. Bell admitted he had asked Morris to withdraw, though he did not know how much effect this had.[2]

Near the end of the primary, Bell unsuccessfully sought the endorsement of Governor Tom Kean.[4]

Polling

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Late in the campaign, Fenwick's aides cited her polling lead at 15 percentage points.[4]

Results

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Fenwick defeated by Bell with 54% of the vote. Bell called Fenwick at 11 P.M. on election night to concede. He maintained his interpretation that his defeat was a referendum on Reaganomics and that Fenwick's victory was a sign that voters rejected Reagan's policies.[5]

 
Results by county:
  Fenwick
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Bell
  •   50–60%
Republican Party primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Millicent Fenwick 193,683 54.28%
Republican Jeff Bell 163,145 45.72%
Total votes 356,828 100.00

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Withdrew

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The first candidate to enter the race was Howard Rosen, a lawyer from Millburn.[1] Representatives Andrew Maguire and Joseph LeFante both had large bases in their home counties, Bergen and Hudson respectively.[1] Frank Lautenberg, the CEO of ADP, had no natural political base and had never run for office, but had a well-financed media campaign and courted key endorsements.[1]

The last major candidate to join the race was Barbara Boggs Sigmund, a Mercer County Freeholder from Princeton and the daughter of late House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Congresswoman Lindy Boggs. Sigmund campaigned for the newly drawn 7th congressional district for much of the spring, but joined the Senate race after being recruited by Democratic Congressmen Robert A. Roe, James J. Howard, and William J. Hughes.[1][9] She announced her campaign just one hour before the filing deadline, on the anniversary of her father's birthday.[10][11]

Donald Cresitello, a former mayor of Morristown, and Richard McAleer, a car-leasing manager, were also late entries.[1]

Campaign

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The Democratic primary was previewed in The New York Times as a "free-for-all," with ten candidates entering before the April 30 filing deadline and no clear favorite.[1]

Lautenberg's campaign was largely self-funded, giving him an advantage in a year when Democratic fundraising was hard to come by following Williams's scandal and James Florio's narrow, expensive loss in the 1981 election for governor.[5] His campaign spending was criticized by LeFante.[5]

Sigmund had support from liberals and some labor elements. She ran a spirited, if brief and underfunded campaign, emphasizing her gender and women's issues, arguing a woman was best suited to take on Fenwick in the fall campaign. At her campaign announcement, Sigmund said that a race between herself and Fenwick "would be the most exciting campaign in the country." She also cited women's perceived compassion and mediating skills as beneficial in politics.[10] One Sigmund supporter referred to the primary race as "Snow White and the Nine Dwarfs."[10]

Sigmund's campaign likely cost Andrew Maguire the endorsement of Mercer County Democrats and women's groups, two groups that had favored him before her entry.[9] Sigmund may also have cut into Maguire's support with labor and Black voters.[10] Sigmund also drew funding and organizational help from Washington.[5]

LeFante's campaign had the key support of the Hudson County Democratic machine, which was expected to deliver him 50,000 votes, about half of what was expected to be necessary to win. Sigmund herself called him the front-runner.[1]

Rosen, who spent $1,000,000 and campaigned vigorously, was forced to cease campaigning late in the race due to a kidney ailment.[4]

In the final weeks, Maguire focused his campaign on North and Central Jersey, making 32 stops at train stations, shopping malls, and factories.[4] Lautenberg and LeFante both campaigned in North Jersey, while Sigmund campaigned with Anne Clark Martindell and Claude Pepper in Trenton.[4]

On election night, the results swung back and forth, with Lautenberg, Maguire, and LeFante each holding the lead several times.[5] Lautenberg claimed victory at 11:40 P.M. and Maguire conceded shortly after. LeFante declined to concede immediately, saying he would wait until Wednesday to re-examine the votes.[5]

Results

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Lautenberg won a narrow victory with 26% of the vote to 23% for Maguire and 20% for LeFante. Sigmund ran fourth with 11%. Lautenberg had no strong regional base, but stayed close enough to Maguire in Bergen and LeFante in Hudson to carry the state on the back of narrow victories throughout the rest of the state.[5]

Some Maguire supporters suggested that he would have won had Sigmund not joined the race; the Maguire campaign itself denied this, arguing that Sigmund pulled from all candidates.[9] Maguire might also have won the race if he had better ballot positioning; estimates at the time suggested 5 to 10 percent of ballots were cast for the first name on the list regardless of candidate.[12] The only county Maguire won outside his native Bergen was also the only county where he had the first position, Hunterdon. Likewise, LeFante only won his native Hudson and two counties where he had top position, Cape May and Gloucester. Richard McAleer spent no money on his campaign, but won more than half his votes in Mercer, Union, and Warren, where he led the ballot. In Union, he finished ahead of Sigmund and LeFante.[12]

 
Results by county:
  Lautenberg
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Maguire
  •   30–40%
  •   60–70%
  LeFante
  •   30–40%
  •   60–70%
  Sigmund
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
Democratic Party primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Frank Lautenberg 104,666 25.97%
Democratic Andrew Maguire 92,878 23.05%
Democratic Joseph A. LeFante 81,440 20.21%
Democratic Barbara Boggs Sigmund 45,708 11.34%
Democratic Howard Rosen 28,427 7.05%
Democratic Angelo Bianchi 17,684 4.39%
Democratic Cyril Yannarelli 10,188 2.53%
Democratic Frank Forst 9,563 2.37%
Democratic Richard D. McAleer 8,110 2.01%
Democratic Donald Cresitello (withdrawn) 4,295 1.07%
Total votes 402,959 100.00

General election

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Candidates

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  • Robert T. Bastien (Grassroots)
  • Millicent Fenwick, U.S. Representative from Bernardsville (Republican)
  • Henry Koch (Libertarian)
  • Frank Lautenberg, financial executive (Democratic)
  • Julius Levin (Socialist Labor)
  • Claire Moriarty (Socialist Workers)
  • Rose Zeidwerg Monyek (Repeal TF 807)
  • Martin E. Wendelken (Independent)

Campaign

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After the primary, Lautenberg's campaign got off to a rocky start, as polls put Fenwick ahead by as much as 18 points and most figured that she was assured victory in November. Even many Democrats assumed their goal was to keep her margin low enough to preserve Democratic chances for local offices.[1] Lautenberg quipped that his opponent was "the most popular candidate in the country."[13] But Lautenberg waged an aggressive, self-funded campaign against Fenwick, outspending her two-to-one. He emphasized partisan differences by tying Fenwick to President Ronald Reagan and Senator Strom Thurmond and attacking her personally, calling her "erratic" and "eccentric."[13]

Lautenberg faced an early problem when he claimed that Hudson County Democratic leaders asked him to pay off Joseph A. LeFante's primary campaign debts and barred his staff from incumbent U.S. Representative Frank J. Guarini's district campaign offices until he paid. Mayor of Jersey City Gerald McCann denied that he had requested any sum and accused Lautenberg of threatening Hudson County officials by supporting primary challengers in local elections if they withheld support.[14]

In October, the campaign intensified after Lautenberg attacked Fenwick as "a little eccentric," quoting former President Gerald Ford. Lautenberg also said she was "erratic in terms of proposals, work and programs."[15] He denied this was an attack on her age and said he was not challenging her "fitness to serve" but her "ability to do the job."[15][13][16] By the month's end, both candidates acknowledged the race had drawn much closer.[17] Lautenberg compared his campaign to Mario Cuomo's in the summer New York Democratic primary, in which he trailed Ed Koch by a wide margin in all polls but won a major upset.[14]

Fenwick continued to hammer her independence and criticized Lautenberg for distorting her record. She was particularly the Lautenberg campaign's claim that, "If Fenwick goes to the Senate, she'll support voting-rights opponent Strom Thurmond." Fenwick, a long-time member of the NAACP since before she entered politics, objected. Lautenberg responded, "Mrs. Fenwick's anger has apparently overtaken her... I think that when she comes up with that kind of a campaign after complimenting me a couple of weeks ago for my gentlemanly way of campaigning and turns now, instead of defending her record, to talk about mud slinging, shows how desperate she is." He did not withdraw the charges, but instead returned Fenwick's charge of mudslinging: "Mrs. Fenwick's campaign has taken a radical turn, changing from one where she presented herself as a public servant to one where personality became an issue."[15]

On October 27, Lautenberg held a rally with Ted Kennedy at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark with 1,200 in attendance. Fenwick toured a housing project in East Orange and took interviews with New Jersey Network and a Spanish-language channel.[17] On October 31, after the final debate, Lautenberg campaigned with former Vice President Walter Mondale and Second Lady Joan Mondale.[18]

Polling

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Early polling indicated a large lead for Fenwick, as much as 18 percentage points. However, this polling narrowed considerably by the end of October. Public polls showed Lautenberg had pulled even or ahead. Nevertheless, Fenwick's campaign said internal polling gave her a lead of no less than 5 percentage points and as much as 7.[17]

An October survey by the Eagleton Institute of Politics found that six out of seven undecided voters said that Fenwick's sex made no difference and one in ten said they would be more likely to vote for Fenwick because she was a woman. Sixty percent of all voters said sex made no difference, while 26 percent said they preferred a female and 14 percent preferred a male.[19]

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[b] 		Margin
of error 		Frank
Lautenberg (D) 		Millicent
Fenwick (R) 		Other /
Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll[20] June 1982 500 LV ?% 24% 41% 35%
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll[20] September 14–25, 1982 756 RV ±3.7% 32% 50% 18%
457 LV ±4.7% 32% 51% 17%
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll[20][21] October 18–23, 1982 500 LV ?% 40% 45% 15%
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll[20][21] October 24–26, 1982 600 LV ?% 41% 44% 15%
Hackensack Record[17] October 27, 1982 ? LV ?% 41% 42% 17%

Previously undecided voters

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[b] 		Margin
of error 		Frank
Lautenberg (D) 		Millicent
Fenwick (R) 		Other /
Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton[22] November 1, 1982 330 LV ±4.0% 45% 46% 11%
  1. ^ Only top two candidates
  2. ^ a b Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Debates

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The second debate, sponsored by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and hosted by the Birchwood Manor on October 3, centered on economic issues.[23] Fenwick criticized Lautenberg for claiming to have created 16,000 jobs, most of which she said were created by acquisitions. Lautenberg denied this and said his business was created by "hard work." Lautenberg referred to Fenwick's congressional and legislative voting record as "anti-job," criticizing her vote to cut federally underwritten college loans. Fenwick criticized Lautenberg's support of an "American-made" bill that she said would cost 15,000 American jobs.[23] The candidates also disagreed over the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, for which Fenwick voted. Lautenberg said the Act did too little to reduce inflation and that the appropriate way to cut unemployment was to fund technological training and fund transportation. Fenwick said that Lautenberg's criticism of spending cuts "reflects the old appetite for bigger government and more spending."[23] Fenwick did criticize Reagan for imposing sanctions on a Soviet pipeline, expressing sympathy for "Solidarity and Polish dissidents" but saying that the sanctions "cost[] jobs in the United States."[23]

Fenwick described Lautenberg's performance in the fifth debate as "kind of pathetic."[17]

The sixth and final debate was held on October 31 and "reflected both the apparent closeness of the race and the acrimony that has often marked its final stages." Fenwick emphasized her image and character, and again criticized Lautenberg's campaign as outrageously deceptive. Lautenberg defending his campaign spending as "highlight[ing] her record" and attacked the national Republican slogan of "stay the course." He blamed her criticism on tightening polls.[18] Jobs and the economy remained the major issue. Lautenberg contended that Fenwick supported cuts to Social Security benefits, which she denied.[18]

Lautenberg directly defended his campaign literature tying Fenwick to Strom Thurmond, arguing that while he was "not accusing Mrs. Fenwick of anti-voting rights views," her victory would preserve the Republican Senate majority and thereby empower Thurmond.[18] After the debate, Fenwick said she would prefer a new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to replace Thurmond.[18]

Endorsements

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Millicent Fenwick (R)

Federal executive branch officials

U.S. Senators

U.S. Representatives

State officials

Newspapers

Frank Lautenberg (D)

Federal executive branch officials

U.S. Senators

Newspapers

Results

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Lautenberg won by 51% to 48%, in what was considered a major upset.[13]

General election results[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Frank Lautenberg 1,117,549 50.94%   9.72
Republican Millicent Fenwick 1,047,626 47.75%   9.40
Libertarian Henry Koch 9,934 0.45%   0.27
Socialist Labor Julius Levin 5,580 0.25%   0.08
Independent Martin E. Wendelken 4,745 0.22% N/A
Socialist Workers Claire Moriarty 3,726 0.17% N/A
Grassroots Robert T. Bastien 2,955 0.14% N/A
Repeal TF 807 Rose Zeidwerg Monyek 1,830 0.08% N/A
Total votes 2,193,945 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

County results

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County Lautenberg % Lautenberg votes Fenwick % Fenwick votes Other % Other votes
Atlantic 53.7% 30,801 44.7% 25,606 1.6% 901
Bergen 48.5% 147,811 50.7% 154,691 0.8% 2,582
Burlington 49.4% 48,035 49.6% 48,215 1.0% 958
Camden 57.9% 75,389 41.0% 53,394 1.2% 1,534
Cape May 43.5% 12,875 55.1% 16,310 1.3% 394
Cumberland 54.4% 17,834 43.5% 14,250 2.1% 689
Essex 60.6% 126,766 38.1% 79,654 1.3% 2,672
Gloucester 54.1% 33,409 44.2% 27,280 1.7% 1,067
Hudson 69.4% 97,636 29.0% 40,766 1.6% 2,306
Hunterdon 32.3% 8,340 65.4% 16,896 2.3% 605
Mercer 54.1% 52,593 44.7% 43,431 1.2% 1,171
Middlesex 53.9% 94,351 44.6% 78,067 1.6% 2,769
Monmouth 47.2% 76,430 51.5% 83,457 1.4% 2,207
Morris 33.1% 41,134 66.1% 82,251 0.8% 1,031
Ocean 44.5% 55,046 54.8% 67,701 0.7% 878
Passaic 56.0% 61,397 41.4% 45,353 2.6% 2,891
Salem 49.9% 9,994 47.6% 9,528 2.5% 495
Somerset 31.3% 22,030 68.3% 48,067 0.4% 313
Sussex 36.6% 11,506 62.0% 19,498 1.4% 435
Union 49.97% 83,436 48.6% 81,211 1.4% 2,325
Warren 46.6% 10,736 52.0% 12,000 1.4% 319

Aftermath

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Brady, who had just a few days left in his appointed term, resigned on December 27, 1982, allowing Lautenberg to take office several days before the traditional swearing-in of senators, which gave him an edge in seniority over the other freshman senators.

After her term expired in January, Fenwick retired from electoral politics. President Reagan appointed her United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and she served from 1983 to 1987.

The age issue would be used against Lautenberg in his own re-election bid in 2008.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sullivan, Joseph F. (May 2, 1982). "POLITICS; DEMOCRATS TURN SENATE PRIMARY INTO FREE-FOR-ALL". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Joseph F. (May 9, 1982). "SENATE PRIMARY TAKES A NEW TURN". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Wildstein, David (August 15, 2024). "Meet New Jersey's 10 appointed U.S. Senators". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Norman, Michael (June 8, 1982). "RALLIES IN NEW JERSEY WIND UP RACES FOR U.S. SENATE". The New York Times. p. B2. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "JERSEY RACES WON BY REP. FENWICK AND LAUTENBERG". The New York Times. June 9, 1982. p. A1. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Republican and Democratic Candidates for the Office of United States Senator" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1982. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e Normal, Michael (May 13, 1982). "9 IN JERSEY RACE FOR U.S. SENATE ADDRESS ELDERLY". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  8. ^ "Cresitello Quits Jersey Senate Race". The New York Times. May 28, 1982. Retrieved June 25, 2016. TRENTON, May 27— Former Mayor Donald Cresitello of Morristown withdrew today from the race for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator and endorsed former Representative Joseph A. LeFante of Bayonne.
  9. ^ a b c Sullivan, Joseph F. (June 13, 1982). "POLITICS; PRIMARY LEAVES SOME BIG 'IFS' FOR DEMOCRATS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d Hoopes, Judith (May 9, 1982). "LEARNING POLITICS BY OSMOSIS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  11. ^ UPI (February 16, 1982). "A POLITICAL BID BY A DAUGHTER OF REP. BOGGS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Sullivan, Joseph F. (July 18, 1982). "POLITICS; BALLOT POSITIONS: FIRST OR LAST". The New York Times.
  13. ^ a b c d Kornacki, Steve (January 14, 2013). "When Lautenberg's Age Met Booker's Ambition: An Elegy for the Swamp Dog". Capital New York. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Sullivan, Joseph F. (October 19, 1982). "LAUTENBERG SEES UPSET; BAKER HELPS MRS. FENWICK". The New York Times. p. B1. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Norman, Michael (October 29, 1982). "REP. FENWICK SAYS LAUTENBERG DISTORTS HER RECORD". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  16. ^ Arnold, Laurence (June 3, 2013). "Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Senator From New Jersey, Dies at 89". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Norman, Michael (October 28, 1982). "FENWICK-LAUTENBERG RACE NARROWS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Norman, Michael (November 1, 1982). "MRS. FENWICK AND LAUTENBERG MEET IN FINAL DEBATE". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  19. ^ Belkin, Lisa (October 17, 1982). "MRS. FENWICK AND LAUTENBERG FACE DIFFERING IMAGE PROBLEMS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c d Rutgers-Eagleton Poll
  21. ^ a b c d e Norman, Michael (October 30, 1982). "LAUTENBERG SEES JERSEY SENATE RACE AS VIRTUAL TIE". The New York Times. p. 32. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  22. ^ Norman, Michael (November 2, 1982). "SENATE NOMINEES IN JERSEY SEEK INDEPENDENT VOTE". The New York Times. p. B4. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  23. ^ a b c d Associated Press (October 7, 1982). "FENWICK-LAUTENBERG DEBATE FOCUSES ON ECONOMIC ISSUES". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "2 IN JERSEY SENATE RACE REAP A SUMMER PROFIT". The New York Times. August 20, 1982. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  25. ^ "Votes Cast for the Office of United States Senator" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1982. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
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